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NASA Predicts A Good Year For Perseids
xCepheus writes "According to this article on NASA's website, the year 2004 will be a good one for the annual meteor shower known as the Perseids. Quoth the article, 'This is a good year for Perseids, for two reasons, explains Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. First, the Moon is new in mid-August; moonlight won't spoil the show. Second, in addition to the usual shower on August 12th, there might be an extra surge of meteors on August 11th caused by a filament of dust newly drifting across Earth's orbit.'"
I live in the los angeles area and it is pretty tough to even see 5 meteors during the apex of a meteor shower. Maybe it will be somewhat easier this year because of the lack of moonlight.
After this, does anyone know when the next meteor shower will pass by? An astronomy hobbyist would love to know.
I remember once, when I was young (last year) a girl I've had a few classes with called me up and asked if I'd like to watch the Perseids with her. I, of course, replied that I would be greatly pleased to do so (I tend to talk funny when girls call me, it's the novelty of the situation).
So, the day she quoted me showed up and we went to one of the local parks with decent protection from the lights of the city. She laid out a blanket, and we lay down looking up at the stars. I stared upwards for the longest time, and saw nothing. Eventually, I realized that our conversation had turned from physics to weird, unfamiliar things, like child rearing and clothes (by the way, the correct response is "No, my mommy does not purchase my clothing, I'm merely trying to fool people into believing I'm a nice young man.)
After this continued onwards for a while, I came to the conclusion that I was being hit on. As I mentioned above, this was a relatively unfamiliar situation. Eventually, I tried to put the moves on (by the way, the correct procedure is not to grab, then ask.)
After being abandoned in the middle of a wheat field, I began my long walk home. I was probably within a half dozen miles of my dorm room when a metallic object passed by my arm and clanged off a rock, embedding itself in the pressurized ink pen in my left shirt pocket (made by the fine folks of the Fisher Space Pen Co.) spraying ink and polyester tatters all over my body. As I dropped to the ground, clutching my burning nipple, I screamed something about the "space aliens finding me and are taking their revenge for my bab5 fanfic."
A few minutes later I woke up to an irate (slingshot bearing) farmer, accusing me of "stealing his beans" and "taking liberties" with his daughter. And I didn't even get to see any meteors.
The show had better be better this year, or I'm just going to stay at home.
A space craft that they were launching was struck by a Perseid meteor and exploded or went zooming off into space, but in the wrong direction.
Ah, you found me!
For those that are interested in space stuff, I have some nifty Lunar Eclipse Pictures from last year and some Colorado Aurora Borealis ... but sorry, nothing as cute/funny as the "farmer story" above from AC ;-)
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
Jeeez ... 8 hours after posting the article ... and *5* comments ... I guess /. just isn't too interested in meteor showers?!?
Well, er, just not a lot to say. You really can't disagree with the article and no obvious mistakes by xCepheus.. what's a Slashdotter to do? I do believe, however, that NASA is full of shit and there will be no meteors, and the moon will full.
Ya, my grammar terrible. Thanks for fixing all, my mistakes Timothy?
If you live in a quiet area, then please listen out for a pop about 11 seconds after each streak. About 20 years ago, we had just returned from holiday in the small hours of the morining of the Perseid shower. We all heard a distinct sound, as of distant gunfire, 11 seconds after each meteor. We wrote to Patrick Moore, and he insisted that there could be no such sound, yet we heard it clearly and reliably.
Post back here if you hear it.
and raise them a meteorology prediction:
It's going to be raining here on August 12th.
My God, it's Full of Source!
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