Monday 12 August 2013

Summertime is for stargazing

August is a wonderful time to go out at night and look at the stars.  This week is particularly wonderful because it is the annual Perseid meteor in the Northern Hemisphere.  It should be at its best between August 11-13th this year.

So, if you have a chance in the next couple of nights - please go find a very dark place to look up at the night sky.   If I could be anywhere in the world tonight it would be in the high desert of Eastern Oregon.    But, anywhere that has a dark, clear night sky will do and you need to find somewhere comfortable to lie down so you can see most of the sky….

And, if you want to shift your perspective for a short while on our place in the universe - take  a moment to read this recent blog post by Adam Frank on the NPR blog 13.7 cosmos and culture.   

How To Fall Forever Into The Night Sky


The Milky Way dominates the sky over Chile's Atacama Desert