Perseid Meteor Showers Back Again for a Repeat Performance

Started by SGOS, August 11, 2018, 09:16:16 AM

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SGOS

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.



Gawdzilla Sama

Saw one from my bedroom last night. Perfectly vertical from my POV.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Unbeliever

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! ;-)
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

SGOS

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.

Unbeliever

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:
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

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.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

SGOS

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.

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

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 ;-)
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Gawdzilla Sama

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.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

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.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Gawdzilla Sama

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.)
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Cavebear

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.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!