I can't afford it...Getting pretty close to Disneyland prices to get into just about all of the museums here...SHEESH! The arts and sciences are just for the rich now...
________________________________ From: Keith Johnson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 10:17:20 PM Subject: Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight What about from the planetarium on Lake Michigan? ----- Original Message ----- From: "C.W. Badie" <astromancer2002@ yahoo.com> To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 8:22:59 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight I couldn't see spit...I live deep in the middle of light-polluted Chicago... --- On Wed, 8/12/09, Martin Baxter <truthseeker013@ lycos.com> wrote: >From: Martin Baxter <truthseeker013@ lycos.com> >Subject: [RE][scifinoir2] Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight >To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com >Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 6:47 AM > > > >Dangit! It *would* have to get cloudy hereabouts. > > > > > >---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- >>Subject : [scifinoir2] Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight >>Date : Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:29:31 +0000 (UTC) >>From : Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net> >>To : scifino...@yahoogro ups.com >> >>Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight >> >>http://news. yahoo.com/ s/space/20090811 /sc_space/ strongmeteorshow >>erexpectedtonigh t >> >> >> >> >>The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week >>for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait >>patiently for the shooting stars . >> >>In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. >>on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could >>prove fruitful, weather permitting. >> >>The Perseids are always reliable , and sometimes rather spectacular. The only >>things that puts a damper on the August show are bad weather or bright >>moonlight. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reach their peak Tuesday >>and Wednesday nights, the moon will be high in the sky , outshining the >>fainter meteors. >> >>Still, skywatchers around the globe will have a good chance of spotting the >>brighter meteors. Some already are enjoying the show .. >> >>Already underway >> >>The Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down >>several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the >>centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these >>debris streams, which spread out over time. >> >>"They are typically fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains," >>says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist. "And every once in a while, >>a Perseid fireball will blaze forth, bright enough to be quite spectacular >>and more than capable to attract attention even in bright moonlight." >> >>Low numbers of Perseids, including some bright fireballs , have already been >>reported as Earth began entering the stream in late July. Seasoned observers >>have counted up to 25 per hour already, or nearly one every two minutes. >> >>Most meteors are no bigger than a pea.. They vaporize as they enter Earth's >>atmosphere , creating bright streaks across the sky . >> >>The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which rises >>high in the sky around midnight and is nearly overhead by dawn. Like most >>meteor showers , the hours between midnight and daybreak are typically the >>best time to watch, because that's when the side of Earth you are on is >>rotating into the direction of Earth's travels through space, so meteors are >>"scooped up" by the atmosphere at higher rates, much like a car's windshield >>ends the lives of more bugs than does the rear bumper. >> >>Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour in short bursts of up to 15 >>minutes or so. But many of the fainter meteors will simply not be visible due >>to moonlight, and rates will go down even more for those in urban areas. More >>likely a typical observer under reasonably dark skies might hope to see a >>meteor every couple minutes when the bursts come, and fewer during lulls. >> >>When to watch >> >>The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn Wednesday. Forecasters >>say the best stretch could come between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET (1-2 a.m. PT), >>which would be after daybreak in Europe. Some Perseids might be visible late >>Tuesday night, and Wednesday night into Thursday morning could prove >>worthwhile, too. >> >>Meteor forecasting is still in its infancy, however, so the best bet for >>anyone truly hungry to spot shooting stars is to get in as much observing >>time as possible from around 11 p.m. Tuesday night until dawn Wednesday, and >>if you miss that show, try the same time frame Wednesday evening into >>Thursday morning. >> >>Meteors should be visible in the pre-dawn hours, weather permitting, all >>around the Northern Hemisphere . >> >>"Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on Aug. >>12," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Then, you could >>see dozens of meteors per hour." >> >>Viewing tips >> >>The best location is far from city and suburban lights. Ideally, find a >>structure, mountain or tree to block the moon. Then scan as much of the sky >>as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If >>you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation >>Perseus. >> >>People in locations where any chill might occur should dress warmer than they >>think necessary to allow for prolonged viewing. >> >>Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge chair for comfort, so >>you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for >>your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be >>sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between >>shooting stars. >> >>Avid meteor watchers might want to try scanning the northeastern horizon from >>9 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time (your local time, wherever you are) for Perseids >>that graze the horizon. >> >>"Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the >>atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond," >>Cooke explained. "They are long, slow and colorful – among the most beautiful >>of meteors." He notes that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at >>most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile. >> > > >http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=JQdwk8Yntds
