Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Perseid Meteor Shower

Last night/this morning was the Perseid meteor shower. I set my alarm for 3:45 a.m. this morning and went outside with my blanket and pillow. My husband had set up the ladder so I could climb up on the garage roof (with the warning, 'Don't wake ME up!'). When I first went out, there was a mama raccoon and her little ones in our open-front garage, banging around. This unnerved me so I sat on the front porch for awhile until I knew they were gone. Then I went up on the roof. I laid back and watched the heavens. I saw 12 meteors, but I would have probably seen more if I hadn't been keeping an eye out for the raccoon family! I didn't want mama getting upset with me and climbing up after me! Although the likelihood of that happening was slim. I heard the coyotes howling and the barred owl hooting. I was outside for almost an hour and would have stayed longer, but, even though I was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, I got cold. The sky was rather bright, probably because of the light from the setting moon. Some nights here when the sky is black and the stars are out, you feel like you can reach up and pull one down. But last night was still beautiful, and awe-inspiring to be up that high under the stars.

I didn't take pictures because unless you have a special camera that shows the whole sky, any picture wouldn't have caught the fast-moving meteors.

2 comments:

  1. I would have been concerned about Mama Raccoon too! The sounds of the woods in the dark are really spooky if you don't know what each animal sounds like. But it's the brush cracking, etc. that gets you. So glad that you got a pretty good view of the meteor shower! They are so neat. Anna

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  2. Yeah, I'm glad I got up to do this. I saw a better one last January, though, with more meteors and the sky was pinkish.
    I'm always cautious around Mama Raccoon because I don't want her chasing me!

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