Last night was the best night for viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower where we live. Mike and I allowed all the kids to stay up late to watch when the meteors were falling more frequently. So at 12:30 am, we all piled into the van and headed out to the country. According to Jack Horkheimer, we needed to watch facing the northeast sky.
After riding for 20 minutes crammed together like sardines in the back of the van, the kids were getting a little antsy and began to squabble. We drove by a school (I don't know which one) and Mike pulled into the drive. He drove to the back of the school, because the outdoor lights were on in the front of the building. After everyone had gotten out of the van, we all gazed into the northeast skies. The stars weren't very bright, because the well-lit front of the school was to our northeast. Oops.
We decided to lay down on the tarmac and see what we could see directly overhead. Amy spotted the first meteor and the younger children were pumped to see some for themselves. Several minutes passed until Allie pointed out her "red meteor that blinks on and off." She was disappointed to learn that she had spotted an airplane. After half an hour, Madelyn and Joe tried to wander off to do some exploring. Mike spoiled their fun and made them return to where the rest of us were lying on the cement.
After a few more minutes, a nearby house let dogs out into the yard. The dogs realized that people were nearby and were barking furiously. As the barking got nearer, we decided to run to the van in case the dogs were not contained. I won't describe how silly we all looked trying to get 9 people in our 7 passenger van all at once. Just imagine a circus act and you'll have a good idea of what happened.
As we left the school parking lot, I noticed that fog was in the surrounding fields and lowlands. Mike was still up for some more viewing, so he drove off into a different direction looking for another viewing place. Eventually, we realized that we were passing one of our favorite hiking places. Mike drove into the parking area and we watched large numbers of meteors. The children were enthralled. It was a great experience and we have discovered the perfect spot to watch them next year!
2 comments:
I am so frustrated that we forgot last night! Not sure I want to stay up so late, anyway. But the last time Mr. BTEG and I watched any was right after our marriage. That was very fun; we watched on the shore of Lake Erie. But I've missed so many opportunities since then!
There is another meteor shower in November. It usually is earlier in the evening, which might work out better for you.
Post a Comment