This is a nice and easy informative piece on how to get the most enjoyment out of your night sky gazing experience. Have already seen a few earlier this week, so looking forward to this tonight :) We aren't out on the prairie like we were for the Perseids (optimal viewing location and conditions) but the lake has some possible bonuses to offset the loss of the pitch black night sky we had out in the middle of nowhere. The light around the lake at night is not too bright; we are in a lowly populated neighborhood on the water and we have the choice of viewing from the boat on the lake, the shore or our (second story) living room. That means we have several great viewing platforms and chance of seeing double beauty: meteors themselves and their reflections in the lake.
Words really fail to convey the beauty of the actual sight of this. It's a rare and beautiful thing for me, watching a "shooting star" crossing the night sky and tracking its reflection in the lake.The feelings I get are ones of indescribable joy, awe, reverence, gratitude, thankfulness, serenity... and that was over twenty years ago. So, I've seen it before but it has been years and I am really looking forward to seeing this again.
Of the ten tips in this article, numbers 8, 9 & 10 are my personal favorites because this is such a great activity to share with someone. I and my daughters spent several nights out in August star-gazing during the Perseids and even though the peak night I was feeling cruddy and I ended up opting to go in early (after the first amazing hour--and over 70 sightings), I still got hear their oohs & ahhs as they stayed up and SHARED this experience. And got along. And didn't bicker. AND GOT ALONG. It was so nice to hear them sharing this.
Tips number 8, 9 & 10 from "10 tips for watching the Geminid meteor shower" :
8. The best way to watch meteors is to bring along a buddy. Both of you watch different parts of the sky. If one of you sees one, shout out “meteor!” If you don’t know which way to look, don’t worry. Just let your eyes rove casually in all parts of the sky.
9. Special equipment? Not necessary. You only need a dark sky, a reclining lawn chair and the warmth of a sleeping bag. A hot drink is also good. Just remember. Watching a meteor shower is not like turning on the television. You can’t expect to just look out the window, or simply step outside to see meteors. Your eyes take some 20 minutes to dark-adapt. If you’re serious about it, give yourself at least an hour of viewing time. Even the best meteor showers have lulls and spurts.
10. As a wise man once said, meteor watching is a lot like fishing. You go outside. You enjoy nature all around you. You hope you catch some!
No comments:
Post a Comment