Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Wondering if anyone saw the meteor shower?

I was planning on watching the meteor shower this morning, but like a lot of my plans, it didn’t happen. I don’t mean that the meteor shower didn’t happen, I mean I missed it. You see, it is like this. For some time now I have been waking up between 03:00 and 04:00 every morning. Most of the time I just roll over and go back to sleep. Didn’t see any reason that it would be any different this morning, but it was. I should have set the alarm clock. The best viewing of the Quadrantid meteor shower was suppose to be between 03:00 and 06:00. You see, after midnight your position on earth starts to face the direction that earth is traveling and the meteors are then faster and brighter.



As you guessed it, I slept right through it. I suppose it was because I couldn’t get to sleep last night and lay awake until after 01:00. I didn’t wake up until 06:30 and by then, it was too light out to see any of the meteor shower. Oh well, maybe it wasn’t anything special. Did any of you get to see it? If so, give me a report.


In case you are wondering how it is known when there is going to be a meteor shower, I will tell you what I know. A meteor shower takes place when the earth passes through an area where a comet had once traveled, leaving dust in its path. This trail stays put for many years and the earth passes through these trails each time it makes an orbit of the sun. Therefore, now that the astronomers know where the trails are, they know when the earth will pass through them. So, around this time next year, they will be back.


Hey, you all have a great Wednesday, you hear?

5 comments:

  1. You, being the major star gazer that you are, need to seriously consider moving to the Terlingua Desert area! Wide open skies at night as you know, and no light pollution to spoil the view.
    Shoot , get ahold of someone that owns land down there and work out a long term rental. ( My Buddy Jim down in Austin maybe http://terlinguajim.blogspot.com/) :-)

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  2. I would love to watch the meteor showers and the stars & planets & constellations, but I'm close enough to a light industrial area that there are too many lights out there. Plus the fact that many of my neighbors leave bright outdoor lights on all night long. That's one of the reasons I always look forward to camping, away from all the light pollution.

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  3. Don't do middle of the nite things any more, EXCEPT wake up, like you. Several times. Last time i tried to watch a meteor shower, was really disappointed, so few. That was a long time ago.

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  4. Sorry,I didn't catch the meteor shower,so no help there. Once again sorry. Blessings Jane

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  5. Didn't know there was going to be a show or I could have probably watched it. Bad night here and I was awake more than asleep most of the night.

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