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Starry night

By Thomas Webber
Posted 8/29/18

In the hustle and bustle world of the 21st century, few take the time to appreciate the splendor of a true starlight night. As our cities grow, we lose what was once a breathtaking and humbling …

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Starry night


Posted

In the hustle and bustle world of the 21st century, few take the time to appreciate the splendor of a true starlight night. As our cities grow, we lose what was once a breathtaking and humbling sight, as if the sky has become vandalized with artificial light. Stargazing is becoming a lost art, and we are losing our connection with the cosmos.
Granted, certain events, such as eclipses, will make the news and encourage some to take an interest in the heavens. But it is often fleeting, unable to compete with a myriad of hectic schedules, TV binge-watching, Fortnight, or even the synthetic skies found in movies and virtual reality glasses.
How very unfortunate.
Perhaps I can present you with another celestial show that will entice you to become reacquainted with the night sky.
We are in the middle of the Perseid Meteor shower, which occurs every August. Its name is derived from the fact that it appears to be originating from the constellation Perseus in the Northern sky.
Even though the event peaked on August 12, the sky is still replete with meteors, or shooting stars, as they are also called. Between 50-100 may be seen an hour, with many leaving spectacular trails behind them. Because the moon is still in its waxing crescent phase, it sets early, making the canvas of night pristine for such a brilliant event.
Do not let the name fool you: “Shooting stars” are not stars at all. Far from it! Instead, they are pieces of dust and rock, usually no larger than the size of your fist, that enter our atmosphere at high velocities. The interaction with our atmosphere causes them to disintegrate, leaving a fiery path in the sky behind them.
Should one of these meteors survive the trip and impact the surface, it is then called a meteorite.
On any given night, you can expect to see a dozen or so meteors every hour. But there are times when Earth’s orbital motion carries it through a debris field and the sky becomes alive with dazzling streaks of light. In addition to the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, there are the Geminids, Orionids, Leonids, and Quadrantids, to name a but a few, each with their own story.
The story of the Perseids begins with Comet Swift-Tuttle. This solar system interloper swings around the Sun every 133 years, leaving behind outgassed material it is has collected in its travels. The last time it paid us a visit was 1992.
Comet Swift-Tuttle is remarkable in that it has an unusual orbit. Its path around the Sun is very steep compared to those of the planets and indeed the general plane of the solar system. It is almost as if the comet dives down toward the Sun, whips around, and then zips out again at very high speeds.
This elongated orbit and high speed of this comet means that its debris is moving faster than those of other comets, around 37 miles per second. This is what gives the Perseids the extra pizzazz that sets it apart from others.
So, what can you do to experience this natural fireworks show? It is very easy. Find a dark, safe area, lay back and look up. While an additional study of the heavens could also happen, telescopes and binoculars are actually discouraged because there is no way to predict where exactly a meteor might appear in the sky.
The universe is there to teach and inspire us every night, and it doesn’t even cost a thing to be witness to its magnificence. I fear, with reflection, that with progress our priorities have run amuck. Sometimes the best thing we can do is turn everything off and remember our place in space.

Thomas Webber teaches AP Physics at Oakleaf High School and worked in the planetarium field for nearly 20 years, including at MOSH, and has also taught physics and astronomy at both the secondary and collegiate levels.