Perseid meteor shower Thursday night

The Perseids are coming, get set for a great show.

Tomorrow night the annual Perseids meteor shower will peak. This happens every year when the Earth travels through a cloud of dusty debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

There are several public happenings around the country this year.

Tel Aviv Astro club is sponsoring free event in Mizpe Ramon:
http://www.meteors.org.il/

Bareket observatory will also be in Miztpe Ramon
http://www.bareket-astro.com/club/docs/perseids_2010_observation.htm

The Israel Atro Association will be at part Tima,  Eilat
http://www.astronomy.org.il/joomlafimal/index.php?option=com_fabrik&Itemid=289

I will be leading a group from Jerusalem at Mitzpe Mesua. But even if you don't join any of these groups, just find any dark spot, get cozy on a beach chair or blanket, and look up. Meteors usually peak closer to dawn but things should heat up as midnight approaches.

Read more about the shower and meteor observing at Sky & Telescope

To prepare you can go to SkyMaps.com and download a nice printable skychart and calendar of events for August. Be sure to select the "Northern Hemisphere Edition"

Get ready for the Perseids!

Hi Y'all,

Just a quick note to be ready for the best meteor shower of the year this Thu night. There are events happening all over the country, I don't have time to write all about it now, but maybe you guys can post the links you know about and I will add my notes later.

There will be no Moon to interfere this year as the the 1st visibility of the new Moon will not be till Wed night.

Hopefully, you have been keeping track of the dance of the planets in the west. They should all pair up nicely with the moon on Wed & Thu. By the time the meteors start falling, those planets will have set, but after 10pm, Jupiter will be making his appearance to keep us company the rest of the night.

I was scouting out sites last night for the show and saw a nice fireball around midnight. However it was going the wrong way for a Perseid, so I was just lucky.


Some links to info and activities:

Bareket in Miztpe Ramon
http://www.bareket-astro.com/club/docs/perseids_2010_observation.htm

IAA at part Tima,  Eilat
http://www.astronomy.org.il/joomlafimal/index.php?option=com_fabrik&Itemid=289

Check out the action in the west

Venus, Regulus of Leo, Mars and Saturn are now lined up nicely after dark from the west to southwest.



Keep an eye on Venus which is inching its way higher each night. It is moving so quickly that by Friday night, Venus will be only 1 degree from Regulus and begin passing it the next night.



Stay tuned for more details for the 4 planet meet-up next month!

-tom

Action in the west

Keep you eyes out for the 3 planets in the west-southwest.
Venus is getting closer to Regulus daily, while Mars is zooming in on Saturn.



http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/96975144.html

-tom
http://astrowife.blogspot.com/


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Solstice celebrations

Some folks know how to celebrate the solstice!




Thousands celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge
Maybe next year we can have a thing at Rujm al-Hiri  in the Golan

And here is a good one from National Geographic

Why summer starts today, and why it's the longest day of the year—but not the hottest.

Happy Summer Solstice

Tomorrow, June 21st, at 14:29 local time, the Summer Solstice will arrive in the northern hemisphere.

This is not the day when daylight and night time hours are equal.  That honor belongs to the Equinox (Vernal or Autumnal).  Nor is the Summer Solstice the day of the latest sunset.  Those of us who light Shabbat candles know that we've got another couple of weeks until we have the latest Shabbat candle-lighting time.  Nor is it the day of the earliest sunrise, which was June 10th at 5:33AM.  (Yes, I missed it too; bummer.)

Rather, the Summer Solstice (solstice: from Latin sōlstitium : sōl, sun + -stitium, a stoppage)  is the first day of summer and the day with the longest number of daylight hours (14 hours 13 minutes 39 seconds, plus twilight).  The sun has reached its zenith and will henceforth climb a little less high every day.  If you are an evening sky gazer, you might notice that the sun will begin setting ever-so-slightly more and more to the left every evening from where it sets tonight.  If you are an early riser, you can watch the sunrise and note its subsequent rising locations every morning: It will become clear that the sun is now heading back to the south for the winter.

We might ask why, if the Summer Solstice has the most hours of daylight of the year, the [shorter] days to come will continue to be hotter and hotter well into August and early September.  This, the Astronomer explained to me, is due to the enormous heat-storing capacity of the world's oceans.  Some kind of "lag effect," I guess.

Happy Summer Solstice to all!

PS It is customary for True Sun Lovers to celebrate the solstice by going outside at exactly 14:29 and dancing the hora.  Either that or bringing their wives chocolate.

Check out the Moon and Venus

  From APOD

We've had 3 gorgeous nights with a clear view of Venus and the Moon. Be sure to go out and enjoy it before the set around 9:45.

-tom
http://astrowife.blogspot.com/


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