Perseids!

I'm a little tired and sore today, having gotten up at 3:00 this morning to try and catch a glimpse of the Perseid meteor shower.

The shower normally peaks on the morning of the 12th, but the local weather mutants are forecasting clouds and rain for the 12th. Fortunately the shower is visible, but at lower meteor counts for a few nights either side of the peak.

I set my alarm for 2:45 this morning, and it scared me silly when it went off. I wiggled out from between Bobi and two schnauzers. I put my jeans and sweatshirt on, grabbed a blanket and headed our for the backyard. I went to the far southwest corner of the yard, to get as far away from the maple trees blocking the good view to the northeast. If I had been smart, I would have dragged out the lounge chair, but digging in the garage at that hour would probably have raised the dead.

As it was, I lasted about 1/2 and hour on the blanket on the ground, staring towards the northeast, where the meteors would be coming from. I only saw three, which was a spot disapointing. But considering that the trees blocked half the eastern sky, it was to be expected. At least I saw something. It was kind of neat sitting in one spot, you see the stars very slowly climbing higher in the sky by each passing minute.

After getting tired of sitting on the ground, I checked out my clear view of the east, along with all the neighbors lights. I saw Auriga and the Pleideas rising in the east, then realizing it was almost 4, went back in to get a few more hours sleep before having to get up for the work in the morning.