Moderators dtel Posted August 11, 2007 Moderators Share Posted August 11, 2007 This weekend, Sunday night should be the best time. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Perseid_Meteor_Shower_To_Bring_Fireworks_To_The_Skies_Of_Earth_999.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I'll be checking out the shower on the top of a local mountain. Interestingly, your link led to a page with a link to a magnet company advertising "super strong" magnets. The attached picture shows the range of shapes these magnets are produced in. But if they're so strong, why didn't they all fly together into a lumpy magnetic mass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 probably shown non magnetized pieces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Probably, but showing a product that's unable to do what it should seems like it would plant a (possibly minor) negative image in the minds of prospective customers. I mean, why's there no equivalent of the guy hanging from the girder by his hard hat in the ad? Or maybe I just have too much time on my hands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryO Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Along the same lines: A friend of mine sent me this. I'll keep a watch for it. *Two moon on 27 August* *27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for.............* Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This willculminate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am . It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.Share this with your friends asNO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see itagain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbgwood Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 mars will look as big as the moon, ah??? ....That's a good one! Wonder where the guy that came up with that one gets what he smokes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Harry, that happened a couple years ago. Believe me, it was less than spectacular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryO Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Well, I'm gonna have to look. I'd hate to miss something cool I only get one chance in my lifetime to see. I wonder if I smoke a big fatty if it will be cooler? Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/8708182.html I don't know where fini was standing when he saw it, but obviously not on this planet. Smile. Edit. When I first read fini's post, I thought he was saying he did see Mars as big as the moon. Re-reading it, I understand he was commenting that it was not that spectacular, meaning Mars was not as big as the moon. Any error is regretted. Smile. The meteor shower can be quite interesting. I first saw it as a lad while camping on a beach far away from city lights on a moonless night. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryO Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I'm running out of excused to burn one. Thanks Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted August 11, 2007 Moderators Share Posted August 11, 2007 There are definite advantages to living in the "boonies" and night sky watching is one of those advantages. Only one of our "neighbors" has one of those "security lights" (for their horses, they moved out here from the city), so for the most part it's perfect for night sky watching. And....with the clear skies and HOT temperatures, with no rain in sight it should be perfect for watching meteor showers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Harry, smoke a big one, and try to dodge the meteors! Yeah, the Mars event was, as I say, a few years ago (2003, actually). My brother and my daughter and I went to a local observatory in the middle of the night. Believe me, Mars looked no bigger than it does tonight! http://space.about.com/cs/mars/a/marsclose.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Just have to relate a true story... About 10 years ago I headed out to the boonnies to see this shower with two friends. One of my friends had a brand new beautiful black Honda still sporting the window sticker we used for the trip. Got out there, laid out cardboard in a field and watched the show til about 2:00AM. On the way back we stopped at an all night hamburger place to eat. While inside an ominous gang of teenager hoodlums came through the parking lot and spend all their time surrounding my friend's new car. He was keeping and eye on them and then suddenly stated, "Oh great, he's got a gun." I went into the bathroom and washed my face, looked into the mirror and sort of gave myself a talk on the lines of, "Well, it's been a good life and it may end tonight." I relaced my boots as tight as I could, tucked in my shirt tail, and hitched my belt an extra notch; then went out to finish my burger - noticed that this burger was the best tasting thing I had ever eaten. My other friend (not the car owner) also spent a few minutes in the can and then came out to finish his meal. After a few minutes he said, "You guys ready?" and we headed for the door. I was fully expecting to be in a fire fight without a weapon and as I went out the door my heart was pounding so hard the bulging of my arteries must have been visible. My nerves were peaked and my readiness for a fight was maxed. In those moments I don't think there was anything I couldn't do - I was real pumped for serious battle. As we approached the car the punks all dispersed, we got in and drove off without a peep. No one said anything for a few minutes until the friend who did not own the car finally gasp, "I thought you said he had a gun!". The driver friend said, "oh no, he was just making like he had a gun with his hand - you know, just joking around..." Cut to a week later... the same three of us decided to do some night sailing but the little outboard had been stolen off the transom and getting out of the marina to the bay under sail only was pretty impossible; so we just put the ice chest of beer in the cockpit and sat drinking beers with the boat in the slip. After a few hours the whole thing kind of regressed into a Docker's commercial where we were all inclined to discuss personal things of recent import. I related the details of the week before when I was thinking that it might be my last moment on Earth and how I gave myself a game talk in the can and prepped myself for mortal battle. It is funny that at no point did the idea of asking the burger place to call the cops ever come to mind. My friend that went into the can after me then told how he also went through the same thing except he relocated his money and credit cards into his boots before lacing them up - smarter than me I guess. Anyway, you can imagine how we sat there getting plowed and feeling that we had fairly well met the challenge of being MEN in the face of imminent death; well except for the guy with the car that knew it was not a real gun. He was always a nervous type and we were amazed at the time how cool he was when we went out to face our deadly destiny. It is sort of nice in a way knowing for certain how one will respond to deathy challenge. At least two of the three of us do now... About the meteors... the best time is actually at 3:00AM local time because that is when the zenith (looking straight up) aligns to the path of the Earth's orbit looking directly forward in it's orbital motion. It is at this time that the Earth will catch up and interect the path of the most meteors. Before and after this time the meteors have to match the orbital component vector of the Earth's orbital speed (almost 30 kilometers per second) to be intersected, but at 3:00AM almost all of the meteors will be intersected, the only ones not seen will be the ones exceeding the Earth's orbital speed in the direction of the Earth's orbit... Happy viewing from a proven MAN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerolW Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Been out on the deck. 1030pm. clear as a bell, milky way visible, some streaks and a flurry of about a dozen. will go out again after midnight. jerol p.s. there's a total lunar eclipse at the end of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 You can get the info at Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I live outside of Austin and don't see any but I can see mars in the eastern sky. I guess I'm need to be in a different part of the country. If anyone does see them let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 was too cloudy and light polluted here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 My dog ate my homework. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel's wife Posted August 13, 2007 Moderators Share Posted August 13, 2007 Couldn't see too much of anything here. Just a few streaks....it was real hazy outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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