It's time once again for the annual Perseid Showers, this year featuring
no moon. In case you haven't noticed, the last couple of nights it has been so dark you can't even see your hand. Unfortunately, where I am, I'm expecting cloudy skies for the foreseeable future.
Quote
Earth should pass through the shower's richest part around 9 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Aug. 12 (0100 GMT on Aug. 13).
So, late that night into the predawn hours of Monday, Aug. 13, viewers in North America and Europe should have the best seats in the house. Late-summer campers should put their sleeping bags outside the tent to enjoy this "Old Faithful" of meteor showers
.
In fact, the first time I experienced the Perseids was from my sleeping bag next to a mountain lake far back in the wilderness of Montana. It would have been Aug 12, 1961. Although, I didn't know about the Perseids until years later. At the time, my friend and I were just laying in our sleeping bags watching meteors and remarking that we had never seen so many before. Then the campfire died and we fell asleep. The next morning we again remarked on the oddity of seeing so many meteors.
The last several years have not been great showers, at least at the times I've set foot outside to watch.
Saw one from my bedroom last night. Perfectly vertical from my POV.
Quote from: SGOS on August 11, 2018, 09:16:16 AM
Unfortunately, where I am, I'm expecting cloudy skies for the foreseeable future.
Yeah, me too. I'd love to see a few falling stars, as long as a third of them don't fall! ;-)
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 11, 2018, 01:23:23 PM
Yeah, me too. I'd love to see a few falling stars, as long as a third of them don't fall! ;-)
Most are about the size of sand grains. Of course getting hit by a sand grain at 280,000 mph would sting.
Oh, I know, I was just goofing on Revelation 12:4:
QuoteAnd his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 11, 2018, 02:08:48 PM
Oh, I know, I was just goofing on Revelation 12:4:
Don't goof about The Beast ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_(Revelation)
If you were Christian, you would be convinced that Obama was the Beast or Trump is the Beast. Actually all politicians are false prophets.
The clouds cleared after an afternoon of rain, and I just spent 20-30 minutes outside and saw 4 shooting stars. Tomorrow should be better.
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 11, 2018, 02:08:48 PM
Oh, I know, I was just goofing on Revelation 12:4:
Oh good one! I didn't know that quote.
I have too much light pollution here. When I moved here in 1986, I could see the Milky Way moderately. Now sometimes I can't see Polaris. At least I know where it is though. I have seen Mars on clear nights recently. It appears between 2 trees about midnight. That won't last for long, sadly.
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 04:19:38 AM
I have too much light pollution here. When I moved here in 1986, I could see the Milky Way moderately. Now sometimes I can't see Polaris. At least I know where it is though. I have seen Mars on clear nights recently. It appears between 2 trees about midnight. That won't last for long, sadly.
Turn the night light off, in your bedroom ;-)
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 04:19:38 AM
I have too much light pollution here. When I moved here in 1986, I could see the Milky Way moderately. Now sometimes I can't see Polaris. At least I know where it is though. I have seen Mars on clear nights recently. It appears between 2 trees about midnight. That won't last for long, sadly.
We checked locations on Google Earth and found spots we can get to in an hour, well away from the civilization-equivalent we have around here. Never totally light free, but effectively so.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 06:12:31 AM
We checked locations on Google Earth and found spots we can get to in an hour, well away from the civilization-equivalent we have around here. Never totally light free, but effectively so.
Naturally, it is an overcast night within 100 miles of here. I saw them in while camping in Canada in the 70s, and they were wondrous! I won't forget that.
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 06:27:02 AM
Naturally, it is an overcast night within 100 miles of here. I saw them in while camping in Canada in the 70s, and they were wondrous! I won't forget that.
Mohave Desert, near Twenty-Nine Palms .. 1969. Best night sky ever.
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 06:27:02 AM
Naturally, it is an overcast night within 100 miles of here. I saw them in while camping in Canada in the 70s, and they were wondrous! I won't forget that.
I saw them while drifting down a river in South East Asia back in 1970. Some of my troopers thought they were "star shells". I laughed and agreed. (Half my team had never been off Long Island before joining the Navy. There is no night sky there worth speaking of.)
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 06:43:58 AM
I saw them while drifting down a river in South East Asia back in 1970. Some of my troopers thought they were "star shells". I laughed and agreed. (Half my team had never been off Long Island before joining the Navy. There is no night sky there worth speaking of.)
Well, both experience and circumstances matter. In Vietnam, I would have been more concerned with lights in the sky than in Canada.
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 06:49:07 AM
Well, both experience and circumstances matter. In Vietnam, I would have been more concerned with lights in the sky than in Canada.
Canada geese don't have running lights? ;)
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 06:51:40 AM
Canada geese don't have running lights? ;)
Are you channeling Baruch? Seriously, that didn't make any sense,
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 06:55:23 AM
Are you channeling Baruch? Seriously, that didn't make any sense,
Joke's not original with me. My friend in Yellow Knife ("in" being three hours by boat) said that Canada geese need running lights like any other aircraft.
The joke does get more complicated when I mention that running lights were a no-no for the fast-movers that routinely overflew us to get their fixes for a run.
Geese do need stars and sunlight to migrate. And some landmarks. But not "running lights" which are lights attached to moving bodies.
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 07:44:52 AM
Geese do need stars and sunlight to migrate. And some landmarks. But not "running lights" which are lights attached to moving bodies.
Instead of running lights they avoid collisions by honking.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 07:55:20 AM
Instead of running lights they avoid collisions by honking.
That for sure!
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 07:44:52 AM
Geese do need stars and sunlight to migrate. And some landmarks. But not "running lights" which are lights attached to moving bodies.
Yeah, hence the joke.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 07:55:20 AM
Instead of running lights they avoid collisions by honking.
Sometimes.
[spoiler](https://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/04/04/b73794de-e4a2-43a4-9b99-549967b63a2d/thumbnail/620x350/25d8a3d14e5def875621a618a95a3379/goose.jpg)[/spoiler]
OK, not figuring that out...
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 08:18:34 AM
OK, not figuring that out...
Honking didn't work for that goose. Collision resulted.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 08:19:15 AM
Honking didn't work for that goose. Collision resulted.
But you can have collisions with running lights too. Nothing is perfect.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 08:45:51 AM
But you can have collisions with running lights too. Nothing is perfect.
Ships have lights too, so you know on which side to pass them.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 08:19:15 AM
Honking didn't work for that goose. Collision resulted.
No, Trump says there is NO Collission! And the goose only brought coffee for a short time, BTW, what goose. There never was a goose.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 08:45:51 AM
But you can have collisions with running lights too. Nothing is perfect.
Thea had one hell of a collision without running lights, so I guess you're right.
Or you were just trying to claim that I claimed running lights were perfect.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 08:55:50 AM
Thea had one hell of a collision without running lights, so I guess you're right.
Or you were just trying to claim that I claimed running lights were perfect.
Well, we can certainly discuss the run-in with Thea. What is your view of it?
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 08:57:48 AM
Well, we can certainly discuss the run-in with Thea. What is your view of it?
Cosmic.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 09:02:43 AM
Cosmic.
So detailed, LOL!
I go for the Mars-sized glancing impact and 2 small moons that coalesced into one, making the far side a bit different than the near side. You like the single moon or the temporary double?
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 09:10:26 AM
So detailed, LOL!
I go for the Mars-sized glancing impact and 2 small moons that coalesced into one, making the far side a bit different than the near side. You like the single moon or the temporary double?
Densiometer votes for two.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 09:17:17 AM
Densiometer votes for two.
It does explain the fast tidal pull nicely, and the differences on the 2 sides.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 08:55:50 AM
Thea had one hell of a collision without running lights, so I guess you're right.
Or you were just trying to claim that I claimed running lights were perfect.
Just trying to think of something to say.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 10:16:36 AM
Just trying to think of something to say.
Is THAT what all the "running lights" nonsense was about?
Blorp...
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 08:57:48 AM
Well, we can certainly discuss the run-in with Thea. What is your view of it?
Both of you dated her? How was she in bed?
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 11:01:13 AM
Is THAT what all the "running lights" nonsense was about?
Blorp...
Yeah, but I can't remember who started it.
Quote from: SGOS on August 12, 2018, 10:16:36 AM
Just trying to think of something to say.
Go with a classic: "Nuts"
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 11:01:13 AM
Is THAT what all the "running lights" nonsense was about?
Blorp...
Flow of consciousness. AKA Baruch without the drugs.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 12, 2018, 12:25:10 PM
Flow of consciousness. AKA Baruch without the drugs.
I don't do drugs, unless you count Challah bread and Manischewitz on Friday night.
Yes, I do stream of consciousness ... but I consider myself to be multiple-personality and the other posters are my other personalities ;-) We are all Rick ... or are we Morty?
Quote from: Cavebear on August 12, 2018, 04:15:25 AM
Oh good one! I didn't know that quote.
Yeah, he must have a
really big tail! LOL