I saw a shooting star last night. The first one I've seen in decades.

It was like:

Congratulations!

I hope you made a wish when you saw it.

Persieds peak this week.

There's going to be a large meteor shower over New Zealandland at approx 5am. In about 4 and a half hours time.
I have set the alarm for it, but I'm not sure if I'll get to sleep tonight. Skies are clear, so its looking promising.

Stolen from a website for boffins. Apparently it's an annual thing the first week each May!

"eta-Aquarids, peak May 5
The eta-Aquarids is a fine, rich stream associated with Comet 1P/Halley, like the Orionids of October, but it is visible for only a few hours before dawn essentially from tropical and southern hemisphere sites. This has the advantage that if the Moon is waxing and a few days before full, it will set before the radiant is high enough for observation. The fast and often bright meteors make the wait for radiant-rise worthwhile, with many events leave glowing persistent trains after them.

A relatively broad maximum, sometimes with a variable number of submaxima, usually occurs in early May. The zenith hourly rates are generally above 30 for almost a week centered on the main peak. High rates are expected between 2008 and 2013. The radiant rises at about 2 am in New Zealand, so observation is best from about 5 am by which time the radiant has a reasonable altitude. The radiant culminates at about 08h local time."

Yes, Aquarius being a southern hemisphere constellation, only you antipodean types get to enjoy this one.

Have just read elsewhere will be approx one meteor per minute for at least an hour.
As I've never seen a meteor shower in my life, I think I really must watch this.

Oh. Whoops. I was so excited about the prospect it kept me awake. But I overdid it. Got to about 3:30am, I was exhausted and couldn't stay awake.
When the alarm went off at 5 i went meh. So tired I couldn't even haul myself to the window. I can wait til next year.

Guess who saw a shooting star last night?

I've now seen two in just over a year.

Even though I have no memory of having seen the first one and only know about it because of the first post in this thread.

Congratulations again!

Are we all going to die from a meteor strike?

I've never seen shooting stars here. I've seen them in the desert, and that's where I'd like to be if we are all to be wiped out - relaxing on top of a sand dune looking at the night sky.