Perseid meteor showers

**Braden** · 08-10-2018, 19:45

The Perseids are the biggest meteor shower of the year and while they seem to come from a point in Perseus, I'm told you can look in all areas of the sky and see them ... 60 - 70 per hour

**West michigan** · 08-10-2018, 20:22

Clear skies all weekend here in west MICHIGAN

**P-Dub** · 08-11-2018, 08:14

I hope so!!

**woodscavenger** · 08-12-2018, 02:09

I took my tensahedron stand to our astronomy club dark site tonight. Darn california fires have packed the smoke in our area but still saw some good meteors tonight from the comfort of my hammock.

**Watertooner** · 08-12-2018, 09:58

Heading to the Driftless Region (the boonies of SW Wisconsin) this evening to set up in time to watch the show. The view to the north should be nice and dark with a new moon and no towns in that direction. Should be fun!

**Mr. Gillam** · 08-12-2018, 12:46

I live West of Indianapolis and tried to watch the show last night with my youngest son. We had to call it quits at 11:30 because he could stay awake another second. Unfortunately, with all the light pollution, I only saw one in 2 hours.

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**Braden** · 08-12-2018, 12:46

A big shout out to the Kansas Astronomical Observers, a non profit group that resurrected the Lake Afton Public Observatory here just outside Wichita. The Wichita State University and Segwick County ran it for 40 years but abandoned it recently (apparently 80k per year is a budget buster). I went out last night to see the Perseids and have a look through the telescope, of Richey Cretian design 16 inch model, same telescope design as whats in the Hubble. Couldn't get a foot in the door there was such a turn out. It is outreach programs like this and science communicators like Brian Cox and Neil deGrass Tyson that keeps science and technology in the public eye, so very important. To think that the University could just toss off an investment into the future for such a measly sum, yet pay a basketball coach millions just floors me. And the County, 80k doesn't pay for a single piece of road equipment, of which they have acres of lots filled. Shame on both of them. Nature is a wonderous gift, enjoy!

**OlTrailDog** · 08-12-2018, 15:46

Yeh, but a star just sits there and twinkle. At least until it goes all nova on you. I've yet to see a star take a knee, wear a pink ribbon, loot stores, tip over cars, or start fires after winning, or whine about somebody matters more than somebody else. Just....sits....there....and... twinkles.

**Braden** · 08-12-2018, 17:14

"Until it goes all nova on you" .... I'll have to remember that one. Pop culture does seem to reign these days. STEM is where progress is born however. I remain entrenched in my world of wonder and I would hope that children are encouraged to enter these fields of progress as there can only be so many auto tuned pop singers or professional athletes. Be well.