Friday, August 13, 2010

Meteor Shower!

Last night was a nice little meteor shower, called the Perseids, which happens as a result of the earth running through the dust left over from an old comet, and therefore happens once a year in august (when the earth is in that spot in the solar system) There are other meteor showers from other old comets that we can look at, but they happen at different times of the year. Anyway, this one is the Perseids, because it looks like all the meteors are coming from Perseus, which is a constellation. The Leonids all look like they come from Leo, but that one is in November. So I went up to a hilltop away from the lights and took some pictures. The one that looks like a meteor isn't, but is a airplane, so I didn't manage to get any to show up in the pictures, but that is all right. They are too faint to show up in a long exposure with the settings I used.
In addition to the stargazing, I went up to Griffith Observatory a little while ago, which is a beautiful building above LA, and it has a wonderful terrestrial view that I've seen three times now, but never looked through the telescope (which is open to the public after dark)
Oh, and there is a few shots from Marina Del Ray, where I am currently anchored. It is a not so nice free anchorage, but still, free.
I also have been playing frisbee so much I figured I should take some pictures of that...

3 comments:

Aimee said...

I forgot how awesome your pink uf shirt was! I'm also a little jealous of the meteor shower. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time in CA. Good luck on your trip south!

mlloyd said...

Ultimate cleats? Rafting in OR with Abe? We'll (Rach, Henny, Sam Bry and I) be watching Mom's Opera on the 20th. I think Abe and Katrina will be heading through again north before we return to our homes. Why no little bro?

Rachel said...

Monica, I know why no little bro... but I'll let him tell you on his own. One clue, did you notice the faint shape of another person with him leaning on the hood of the toyota with the California plates...in the long exposure picture he took...