Staring at the sky.........

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
Do you ever just stand and stare up at the sky? Every year at this time I do it frequently. No it's not an attempt to see my maker or watch out for the arrival of Santa. It's meteors I’m looking for. Every year at this time the Geminid meteor shower arrives and I look forward to it all year. This year they arrive on Dec. 6 and will last about 2 weeks, the peak will be on December 13, in the evening. No, I’m not normally a sky watcher, but the event always coincides with my birthday (today to be exact and I’m 50) so year after year it’s easy to remember. Last year was fantastic, I’d go out at 10:00 or so and just watch, viewings best in the dark desert and watch, it can be wonderful, single meteors, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time. This year has been a bit of a bust, the moon is very bright, there’s been some clouds and I haven’t seen a thing. The shower peaks on Saturday night, I hope the show is better. So, if your out and about on Saturday night, case an eye toward the sky, you might see a falling star….
 
Got to see one before the clouds came in last night while I was hunting. Will have to watch for sure tonight after Christmas party. Hope the clouds will be forgiving.

Sorry, forgot the Happy Birthday part of this post.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
 
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Happy 50th!!!....and to answer your question, YES. I do the same thing quite often. I believe it was '02 the Leonid?? showers were visisble. Watched them on the peak night 20 miles from any artificial light. What a show!
 
Happy Birthday, MJM! Won't be able to see much sky around here for a few days looks like, but I'll still be watching to see the weather they bring in...
 
It doesn't get truly cold here inTucson, but We've got a Big chiminaria (sp), fire place thingy in the yard, I think I'll get a fire going in it and pull up a chair, maybe make some smores to attract my kids, it could be fun even if the smoke gets in the way. ..... the birthday thing is just what reminds me of the event, but thank you for the B-day wishes ....

The Leonids are great, occasionally I'll stumble on them as well. Tucson is a pretty good place to stare up at the sky, most nights when taking the trash out I stop for a few minutes to crack my neck while looking up at the sky. Occasioanlly I'll see two or three meteors just doing that. When I was young I thought meteors were fairly rare, now it occurres to me that the earth must get tons of space material every year. It's one of gods gifts......
 
Happy Birthday Buddy!

I believe Mark Twain was born on the day that Halley's Comet passed Earth, kind of a similar natural show in some ways. You my friend have always been a shining star!

Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Happy Birthday Michael. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I was outside a week or so ago and saw a big one come down to the North of us and a couple of days later read where one landed in Canada...

Saw another big one come down two nights ago in the Northeast and figure it may have made it to the ground in Norther PA, NY, or around Montreal..

Long lighted times on both of them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif.... Plenty of time to say, "Money, Money, Money" but so far, I haven't gotten any... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Happy Birthday kid

next time you staring at the sky
have a tote for me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

puff,puff,pass is how we do it on the east coast /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif George - That sort of activity takes me back an embarassing long way. I honestly haven't seen or even smelled a joint since being in the service, rarely then, but I think I just might find a bottle of some sort of liquid, maybe a visit to someo old buddies of like Jack, Jim and Johnny would be in order.
 
1st,
Happy Birthday, Michael!

The best meteor shower viewing usually happens after midnight--has to do with the revolving earth "intersepting" the, grain of sand sized, bits of matter. A "fast" telescope at low power is often a real treat for viewing (binoculars also).

Bob
 
Hey, Happy Birthday! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

50's NOT old, man!
If it is, I'm soon to be in trouble myself... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Hope you had a great fun day today!

Barry
 
back in the day that was my thing,, get all peanutted up
lay back with a fat chick and watch the stars fall from the sky's...

your as old as you feel pal /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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Sky watch report:

- Stepped out at 1:00am Saturday morning, The clouds were GONE, the moon was bright, Saw a few even with the bright moon. The normal smaller ones were no whre to be seen, but A couple sets showed, I say sets because they came in pairs, no tail, just a bright spark falling.

- Saturday the 13th made a real effort. The moon was low until about 11:00pm. I light a fire, pulled up a chair, grabbed the 5 string banjo and kicked back to make banjo like sounds and watch the sky. I saw NOTHIGN ...... except for quite possibly the very best falling star I've ever seen. It started to the east, traveled directly west in a Long sparkling trail. I actually had time to stand up and step to the side to see it finish past the corned of the house. It was worth the wait! The kids came out afterward and we polked the fire, burned up some marsch mallows. We did something cool, have you ever put a ping pong ball in a fire? One of the survival shows showed putting vasaline on a ping pong ball and lighting it, it burned for quit some time onthe show. So, I got a ping pong ball and just tossed it in the fire. Amazing! It sat for a second, started to burn then POOFFF!!! it was GONE. No smoke, no little pieces, just POOFFFFF, gone! We did it a couple more times .... which reminds me, I need some more ping pong balls. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif .... All in all a great night, the kids don't get to fool with fire so it was special for them....
 
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