Do you ever take time to gaze at the stars?? It seems to be a past time of ours, we love to sit out look at the stars, catch lightning bugs and enjoy being together. Tonight take note and watch for meteors as well. June 30th is National Meteor Watch Day. I was not aware of it til now but it seems that it occurs every year on the same date. Another fact I was unaware of is that there are millions of meteors that occur in Earth's Atmosphere.
Meteors are created when space debris enter the earth's atmosphere it causes friction in the sorrounding air. This air becomes scorching hot and looks like a "shooting star" Most of the meteoroids that cause meteors are no bigger than the size of a pebble. Sometimes meteors occur in showers. The meteors that we observe at night are visible when they are 34 to 70 miles above the earth and can only be seen for about a second. About 31 to 51 miles above the earth meteors will disintegrate.
To participate all you need is a clear dark night and your eyes. I can remember as a kid going into the country to watch the stars. Here in our town our backyard is dark enough but if you can not find a dark space this adventure may be a bit tough for you but still possible. The brightest meteors should still be able to be seen. If you do decide to go out and about to find a good spot take a friend and be safe.
Since the meteors will be up above us one of the favorite ways to watch for meteors and stars is to lay down on the ground face up. Plan on staying a while and one good idea is to bring along a red flashligh rather than white. the white light will bother our eyes you can simply paint the lens of a regular flashlight with red nailpolish to create the effect.
Since the plan is to stay for a while you may want to bring a few things with you:
- a blanket and pillow to make your lay on the ground comfortable
- warm clothes as the ground may be cool and the night air may make it cooler
- your favorite snack and drink
- buddy to watch the stars with you
- star chart is also a good idea as well
Relax and have a bit of fun creating memories. This is a great idea for families to do together as well
I have been wishing on a star since I was 8 years old! I love stargazing. This sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea! It is winter here and I haven't being paying much attention to the stars at night. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeletewondering where in the world you are at. I can well imagine there is not a lot of star gazing going on
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