8/14/2010

Meteors and stars...

17


August.  Summer nights with clear skies.  Every year around this time the Perseid meteor shower puts on its show...part of what defines summer for me.  Years ago this is what I might have seen...the view from Land's End, San Francisco.  With quite a lot of light pollution from big cities, not many stars were ever visible.  photo courtesy of ehoyer   

I don't live there anymore.  Here's what home looks like these nights...nights with a bizillion stars.


Not the moon you're seeing there, but the planet Venus.  There's no moon this year between midnight & dawn to interrupt the meteoric display.  Scientists say that 2010 is a good year for the Perseids.  From NASA:

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Every 133 years the huge comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves
behind a trail of dust and gravel.  When Earth passes through the debris,
specks of comet-stuff hit the atmosphere at 140,000 mph and disintegrate
in flashes of light.
The meteors are called Perseids because they fly out of the constellation Perseus.

Swift-Tuttle's debris zone is so wide, Earth spends weeks inside it.
Indeed, we are in the outskirts now, and sky watchers are already reporting
a trickle of late-night Perseids.

Sky watchers.  That would be me.  And this one...who follows me everywhere including out to the garden at midnight.  Who is my shining star by any definition.


She has a new "hedgie."  No less than 5 squeekers hidden within.  Bigger than dawg's whole head.  Hysterical  :>]]

May you find stars wherever you look for them,

17 comments:

  1. wow Christi, you've got even more stars than we have here. all that Perseids info was interesting, are you going to bead it? dawg looks satisfied, just waiting for a game, little Charlie would have disembowelled it by now to get the squeakers out - either that or tried to make babies with it...see ya, k.

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  2. we have some nice twinklers here too, being away from the Big Smoke
    and i very much like your Bright Particular Star

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  3. Oh friend Kaite, if only I could bead every constellation, I would create a heavenly bounty then, wouldn't I??? Yes, a very chuffed dawg....but she is of gentle mouth for the most part, unless wild rabbits come inside "her" fenceline, then all bets are off!

    "Big Smoke", you say, India? This sorry yank doesn't know that expression...hopping over to proverbial Google help pad for translation...
    Your Star still shines bright for you.

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  4. We had clear skies...until Thursday and Friday when we were supposed to be able to see the event the best.

    Love your dog. Sorry, is she Shelty or Collie. We had a tri color Collie when we were first married. Such beautiful coloring. Since her, I have always had mutts from the rescue. But I love my babies...my stars.

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  5. Thank you so much for this picture. We are so surrounded by trees and have had cloudy weather - the shower wasn't even visible. I love that you shared it with me.

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  6. Same as what penny said...thank you.

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  7. Isla's new toy is adorable. I will not be able to show George or he will be jealous.
    These skies are beautiful. Thanks for finding them for us to see. Wow!!

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  8. It was too cloudy in our city skies :-( but your photos are a huge consolation. Or should that be constellation...

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  9. Its clear here tonight and about 4 degrees C. So I might be able to see some of those shooting stars. I have a very good view of the sky out here in the bush no light pollution at all.

    Years ago when I used to go night fishing with my dad he would always tell me to make a wish when I say a shooting star. Old habits are hard to break and so I still do this. Maybe its a night for special wishes.

    xt

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  10. So pretty. I can't get myself to stay up late enough to see the meteor showers...I did see Venus yesterday morning though.

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  11. Thanks for sharing the info on the Perseids. Your Land's End photo is beautiful. Reminds me of shimmering crystals streaking on a background of plum-maroon silk. It would be wonderful to see a beadie-stitch interpretation created by you--see a new theme! :-) You are so fortunate to have a magnificent star scape. I would definitely go on more nocturnal hikes if my local skys were anything like that (sigh), sort of like entering another dimension--so much beauty!

    And I see that Dawg has a new nocturnal companion too! I had to laugh :-). They both look like best buds, and I can imagine a trail of squeaks, streaming throughout your house. Have you thought about adopting an African Pgymy Hedgie? They are to-die-for cute, very gentle, and fits perfectly into a nocturnal household. If you socialize them, they can be very affectionate. My former APH use to nap in my lap when I was beading :-), and she snored!

    Great post Christi!

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  12. Whoops! Forgot to add that you've inspired me with your post! Will try to torch up a batch of star or starfish beadies this weekend :-). Thanks Christi!

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  13. Lovely to have so many visitors stepping along my blogpath...

    Carol, never a brighter star than these furry ones! Dawg was referred to as a "farm collie mix" from the rescue folks (adopted her around age 2). Curiosity got the better of me & I fell back on genetic science with a DNA test...turns out she is 3/4 collie + 1/4 Australian shepherd.

    Penny & Beadbabe, I hope they revealed themselves to you...such a special annual sky-event.

    CG - keeper of George's happiness - wise choice :>]]

    Karen, I had much trouble seeing stars when I lived in San Francisco, now they are one of my greatest joys living this rural life...

    T, I hope all of your wishes come true!

    Deb, Venus just might do :>]]

    Grace, my hedgie-loving internet pal, good to see you here...is that YOUR hedgie in your profile pic?! I'm afraid that dawg would more than happily eat a *real* hedgie for any lunch or snack! Alas, I will have to admire them from afar (altho a snoring one would be an utter delight). Have you *graced* the beady world with some of your own stars?

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  14. I was hoping to see some meteors from the Hebrides but alas too much cloud. We saw one shooting star as we whizzed through Glencoe on our way home.

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  15. Isla and Hedgie... what a hoot!

    Hugs, Robin A

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  16. Christi, that isn't my hedgie, but I just couldn't resist such a cute face. They are the sweetest companion--you do need to socialize them, and that means lots of cuddle time. They are perfect for nocturnal souls ;-)

    My constellation beadies turned out quite wonky last weekend, but my puffer fish are progressing. Good to see you taking some time off to create your beadie stitch magic! :-)

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