Perseids, Derrick Pitts and Doom from Above!

Posted on | August 10, 2009 | Comments Off

Keep Watching The Skies!

In the past, I haven’t even bothered to mention that the Perseids meteor shower was underway, as August is usually so humid and overcast around here. But the Philadelphia region is in a weird pattern right now and it seems that, despite the current ickiness, that the weather might clear — at least partially — by the shower’s peak on the 11th and 12th.

(Source: NASA)

So step out, about an hour or two before dawn on Wednesday morning, as it seems it might make it worth it to get to work a little groggy on the 12th. (Please ignore this advice if you are, say, a surgeon, air traffic controller, or wrecking ball operator.) Just look up, to the northeast for little streaky things. If one lands in your backyard and glows ominously, don’t wait around to find out what happens if you poke it with a stick. (Especially if you are from Phoenixville.)

Otherwise, try not to look at the moon as it will mess with your nightvision. So no smoking or watching from beneath a streetlight. Also, don’t attempt to break streetlights or your neighbors houselights with a rock, as that will attract the police, whose bright lights will also ruin your nightvision. (Pro-tip!)

If you are more night owl than early bird, you might try The Franklin Institute’s Night Skies at the Observatory on Thursday, August 13. The talk is Omens from the Sky: Astronomical Disasters in History, and presumably is about things falling from the sky. Your host will be the guy himself, Derrick Pitts. The event runs from 6-9, $5 for non-members.

Also, it is still the International Year of Astronomy. Have you ordered your Galileoscope?

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