Hot Tub Astronomy: Take A Meteor Shower From Your Hot Tub Tonight
Starting tonight and through the morning of the 12th, treat yourself to one of the most spectacular nighttime events that virtually anyone can enjoy—the Perseid meteor shower.
The shower begins in late July every year, but now, while it’s at its peak, you can see as many as 100 meteors per hour. And the warm summer nights make it easy to stay out after sunset.
But the best time to see the shower is in the hours just before dawn. So set the alarm, brew some coffee for your thermos, grab some fruit and granola, and have a picnic breakfast under a thousand falling stars. The show will be even better from your Hot Spring Spa! What a way to start the day!
7 Bits of Perseid Meteor Trivia:
- Mankind has looked up at the Perseids for nearly 2,000 years.
- The Perseids are remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which orbits the sun every 133 years.
- These bits of comet “ice and dust” are more than 1,000 years old.
- Travel speed? hese meteors travel 37 miles per second.
- Some of the meteorites are as small as a grain of sand, but they have the kinetic energy of a nuclear bomb!
- If you see a very slow, bright object sailing across the sky, it’s either a satellite or a Space Station.
- According to Astronomy.com, the Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year: It will occur on a night when the moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means that less moonlight will increase your view of the meteors.
Connect with Go Astronomy and check out this list of astronomy clubs in the area to learn more about local events, including how to organize a SkyWatch. thanks to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Patch for suggestions for this post.Pray for a clear sky tonight & tomorrow. Then sink back in the swirling waters of your Hot Spring Spa and enjoy the show. If you take some pics from your hot tub of the Perseid Meteor shower, do share them with us!
As the Romans said it: Res severa est verum gaudium. True Pleasure is a serious business.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
Hot Tub Astronomy: 3 Ways to Enjoy the Night Sky From Your Hot Tub
