Joann Foley

Well, I went to a friend’s home in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia to watch the big meteor shower this weekend.  I was so excited.  I had not seen a good meteor shower in several years and was really looking forward to it.

I arrived about 7:00 Friday night, we visited for awhile, gave lots of hugs and handshakes and settled in our lawn chairs to visit for awhile, since we had to wait until 3:00 a.m. to see the shower.  We sprayed ourselves with lots of bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes and other things that bite by the light of the moon.

The moon was going to present a bit of a problem this time around.  We were at the stage of full moon, and would have to sit somewhere where the moon was hidden from our view, in order to see anything.  It was going to be a challenge indeed.  We went inside about 10:00 p.m. to watch a movie and have some ice cream. Then we all went to bed about midnight (with the alarm set for 2:00 a.m.).

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and the sky had clouded over.  I was so upset!!!  I traveled over 100 miles to come and see a meteor shower ONE NIGHT out of the year, and it has to cloud up and rain.  I could not believe my luck.  Well, I went back to bed and got up at 3:00 a.m. to check the night sky.  It was not only cloudy, but had begun to rain.  So, I went back to bed hoping that Saturday night would be better.

Saturday, it rained all day……and Saturday night it rained on and off throughout the night.  Well, at least I got to visit with my family for a couple of days.  It was a nice time, even if I didn’t get to see the Perseids meteor shower that I was so looking forward to.

I love a good meteor shower, and every year in August we can view (if we are lucky enough to have clear skies) the Perseid’s shower.

The Perseid meteor shower is named after the constellation Perseus, which is located in roughly the same point of the night sky where the Perseid meteor shower appears to originate from.   The source of the Perseid meteor shower is actually debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year, the earth passes through the debris cloud left by the comet when the earth’s atmosphere is bombarded by what is popularly known as “falling stars.”

This year the meteor rate will be 50 or more meteors per hour, a good count, but it still doesn’t match the shower I viewed in December of 2001, the Geminid shower,  where the rate was over 100 meteors per hour.  That was the most spectacular meteor shower I have ever seen!!!  It was cold, but well worth it.

If you have never viewed a meteor shower, I highly recommend it.  This year, for the Perseid’s shower, we will be battling a full moon, so if you view it, place yourself in a moon “shadow” area, behind a building, shadowed from the moon is the best suggestion I can think of.  If you live near a mountain range, you will have better viewing after the moon starts to go behind the mountains.  You will need either a blanket or comfortable lawn chair, food and drink, if you wish to have a snack, and last, but most importantly….lots of bug spray!!!

This year the peak viewing time will be between the hours of 2 a.m. and dawn on August 12-13th.  So, take a nap and get up very, very early on Saturday morning (if you can).  Happy viewing everybody!!