Is any one planning to stay up to watch the Persaid Meteor Showers tonight?? although they will be seen for just over a week, the best night to view will be tonight with an estimated 60 meteors an hour. if you have never had the chance and can stay up, dont miss this. it is a pretty sight to behold. be warned though that the best time to see them in the northern hemisphere would be a few hours before dawn or about 2-4 am.
While in college, I had the opportunity to work for a boys' camp in Maine. I mean, in the middle of nowhere Maine, miles and miles from anywhere that might cause a light dome. Most of the kids came from large cities with the majority from New York City and surrounding areas. One night, we "snuck out". They didn't need to know that everything was prearranged. We "snuck" out to the baseball field, stopped in the outfield and laid on our backs. It wasn't long before these kids who spent their lives in a light dome and probably had never been outside in the dark got the show of their lives. If you have never gone out at night, driven as far as possible from all forms of light, and watched a meteor shower, please do. And while you're out there, watch for the stars that move slowly across the sky; those are man-made satelites. You will never look at the sky the same way again. And thanks, Dave, for reminding us that it's time again.
I have never once missed it! I always stay up for this, and have been really pleasantly surprised by some of the things I've seen. I adore skywatching!! :multi: :clap: Get my telescope out (for looking at other things) and a blanket to lay on, then settle down in the middle of the street. Don't worry, I live on a quiet dead-end and nobody ever comes down it after 9pm.
The last time one of those showers had its 30-some-year peak, I happened to be living in the middle of a rainforest (so little lighting) with a nice clear space for vieweing at night. Talk about intense. There are meteor showers...and then there are ones at their peak.
Just came back from spending a few hours under the night sky. Even here in LA, with all the light pollution, I saw a few. A few years ago, I went up to the mountains to catch it. Really spectacular ones that year.
ROFLOL, Batavier!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: *loved that movie* I always go way outside the city lights to view the meteor shower. I saw many satilights lastnight. And what's with all the planes that kept flying overhead?!?!?! Seemed to be more than usual, and their lights were distracting from the meteors. Grr. Oh well, I had a great time stargazing lastnight. ...nevermind that I had a hard time getting up for work this morning as a result (only to find that they didn't need me!!)... Always worth it, though. :mrgreen: *is suddenly attacked by Triffids* GAH!! Help!
I stepped outside this morning just in time to see a big one streak across. I do wish that I had the free time to delve into astronomy.
well the show was as good as expected. i was in the Capital Forest on top of "Radio Hill" the view was great and the show was awesome!! i tried to get pictures but unfortunately even in DV mode, my digital camera just doesnt react quick enough to the light changes to focus. oh well, guess digital isnt the best for everything...
Not as bad as those unlucky people in the panhandle of Florida who might get two in a week. :mrgreen: I'm just crossing my fingers...8 more days until I leave the hurricanes and move to the earthquakes. :mrgreen:
LeVautRien: well there are trade offs...granted we dont get nearly as many earthquakes (Thank God!!) as you get hurricanes. but keep in mind, we dont get a warning 3 days ahead of time.
Heck, we've got weeks from when that storm floats off of Africa...of course we have about 3-5 days for when it's fairly certain. I do find it quite ironic, though, that the huge storms that threaten the gulf coast and east coast and carribbean are spawned from fronts that move over the Sahara. Of course, as far as earthquakes, I can't say I'm all that concerned. With earthquakes, you can at least build things up, expecting the earthquake. You can do that for hurricanes too, but not nearly as much. Especially living in New Orleans, where our levee system would trap water in after a bad hurricane...the results of a category 4 or 5 hitting at a bad angle would, many sources project, keep the city flooded for 4-6 months. That's a disaster on a San Francisco earthquake/Chicago fire scale. An interesting tidbit: The system of pumps that pushes the water back over the leeves during storms and pumps at the rate of half an inch an hour becomes the equivilent of the 10th largest river in the US when turned on.
well... the problem is we build things to last through earthquakes but that just doesnt seem to work at times. here is a pic of the 4th Avenue Bridge. the bridge is brand spanking new since it was completely destroyed in the Nisqually Quake. the bridge was part of a pair of one conduits over the bay linking the two halves of Olympia. routing both directions over the one inadequate bridge that was left was a traffic nightmare of epic proportions. the only reason the other bridge was ok was that it spanned mud and could be reinforced (it was also much shorter) http://priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=752
True, things may fail...but I'd say that with current constructions, things are generally just better prepared. Of course, an earthquake of epic proportions could still bring even specially-built things down, but then so could a hurricane of epic proportions.
I was in high school in Portland in 62 when the Columbus Day Hurricane hit the Pacific Coast. It was ugly and I think only peaked at just over 100 in Portland. My memory is of my dad's barometer. I came home as a freshman and looked at it. The needle was visibly dropping. I had (have) never seen anything like that, and I hope I never do, One word of advice never ride out a hurricane in a mobile home. It is bad, very bad.
I've never been in a hurricane (my aunt & uncle are experiancing their first right now since moving to FL from CA), but I've been in many quakes, and have dodged falling trees and powerlines during our really bad fall windstorms.
ok Star, i was going to say that the storm we had back in '97 may not been a hurricane, but it was similiar (not as severe) and cost just as much. (it dont take as much wind to cause havoc around here. after all, how many 200 ft firs do you guys have? but we had a good breeze going, up to 100 mph, and a bit of flooding. half on McKenna, WA was washed away. A farmer lost ½ of his 25 acre farm overnight. Many residents were without electricity for TWO WEEKS. that storm also caused the WA St blackout when all of Western WA lost power for almost 20 mins. not good especially considering that WA St provides two thirds of the hydroelectric power in the western US and most of it goes through Western WA before it leaves the state. like i said, it may not have been a hurricane but as far as end results, it did just as much damage.
