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The Perseids Meteor Shower Event


Criminal

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(not to mention a bit daunted by all the talk of spurs, FRS' 'n downed trees, etc.),

You've taken on tougher trails and events. :rolleyes: I know cuz I was at one of them when we took a dunkin'. :lol:

 

Seriously though, don't be daunted by the above post. It was provided as a heads up to a couple of goofy spots. I have a good range GMRS/FRS pair of radios and I think I can use one as a mini-repeater which I might try.

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I just checked with the Ranger Station today and got some updated info and clarifications

  • Camp Fire Elevation limit is 3400' not 3500' as is listed in many of their docs which verifies the no camp fires at Moonshine Flats.
  • At last report there ARE trees downed on the trail but we sould be able to get around or over them.
  • The Well at Campbell Tree Grove Camp Grounds (Closest to the trailhead) is out of order for any planning on staying there at all.

 

Additionaly, my ride canceled on me. I've messaged Smylegirl about getting a ride from her on friday, just waiting on a responce. I definatly still want to make this event.

 

Out of curiosity, anyone else bringing a Rino? I've got a Rino 530, it's got a nice 14Mi range on it's FRS so I can probably transmit all the way to the trail head without a problem and may be able to send a track log to anyone else with one :rolleyes:

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I don't really know any of you at this point, sadly. FWIW, I'm coming from North Seattle. I'd at least like some company on the trails.

Well shoot kelita, you just found my Dumb Luck Detour cache - so... you leastwise know a little somethin' about me. :(

 

I'd like to drive, but would love some company (not to mention a bit daunted by all the talk of spurs, FRS' 'n downed trees, etc.), so... might be fun to get lost together. :laughing: I may have a chum along but won't know for sure for a day or two. Like the Rover, I plan to set out about 7 am from Left Seattle (with a quick stop in Olympia to snag a "Moon Tree.")

'Tis true. Sounds like a good idea to me. Also, I finally went and purchased a good map of the area and all makes sense now. :laughing:

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A meteor shower to remember

 

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Perseids will shine brighter, thanks to a new moon.

 

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A meteor shower happens when tiny specks of comet debris enter Earth's atmosphere, creating an eye-catching light show as they vaporize during a streak through our atmosphere. One of the most impressive of these showers, Perseids, happens when Earth passes through the debris trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle as the comet makes its 130-year orbit around the sun. Every brilliant flash is a fragment burning at 37 miles per second. And you'll be able to spot as many as 100 of these flashes per hour when the shower peaks on the nights of Aug. 12 and 13. Adding to its appeal is the fact that, this year, a new moon falls on Aug. 12 for the first time since 1999, so skies will be at their darkest (and, therefore, the meteors will be quite visible). "It's like driving your car into a snowstorm with your high beams on," says astronomer Geoff Chester, who is also a spokesman at the U.S. Naval Observatory. "Perseid meteors are quite bright and fast." Look for fireballs that seem to originate from the constellation Perseus (the hero of Greek mythology who killed Medusa), low in the northeast part of the sky after midnight. No matter where you're watching in the country, the show gets better as it gets darker; between 1 and 5 a.m. on Aug. 13 is prime time. And don't despair if the weather is cloudy, because you'll be able to see meteors up to two days before and after the peak.

 

LINK: http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/070805...05skywatch.html

Edited by ...The Girl
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And as you are watching the night sky you may notice some really slow "meteorites" as they cross overhead. One will be particulary bright with the space shuttle attached to it.

 

Satellite Local Date/Time Pass Max Approach Departure

ISS Sat Aug 11,07@21:19 03m00s 33 32 above NNW 10 above ENE

ISS Sat Aug 11,07@22:53 01m00s 51 24 above NW 51 above N

 

You can get a list of the many other satellites here.

 

BTW, I could use a ride from Bellevue, or meet somewhere else.

Edited by MarcusArelius
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BTW, I could use a ride from Bellevue, or meet somewhere else.

We've got room Marc - you're surely welcome to come along and get lost with us! The geojalopy departs Left Seattle at 7 am. Plenty of parking here to leave your car. Shoot me a private note if you'd like to join us.

Or I still have room for two in the Land Rover. Departing Federal Way approx. 0700.

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Well I think I have the routes and maps all ready... this will be a great shock to my British camping mindset where you are rarely more than 10 minutes from a real bathroom and a McDonalds...

 

Still we have decided that in lieu of carrying stoves etc we will live on junk food for the one night we are away - screw the diet and bring on the pringles.... and as for filtering water don't we pay good money for the guys at the microbreweries to do that for us? Now if only i could find some decent beer in plastic bottles. Maybe I will hide a case in Jo's backpack and hope she doesn't notice the clinking...

 

Looking forward to meeting you all.

 

(leaving Kirkland around 6ish so hope to arrive by noon)

 

Andy + Jo

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All trailheads that are 'improved' (read: have a toilet) require permits these days.

 

They can be acquired at any REI, or ranger station. There may be more places, but REI is generally the easiest. They come in day passes or the more seasonal flavor - year round.

 

Or you can just ask RWW how much the fine is if you don't have one (it's cheap... but you didn't hear that from me.)

 

Editing to add: You might also be able to borrow one from someone who's coming to the event. With all the people who are carpooling, it's possible that some of the folks NOT bringing their cars may have 'extras' that can be borrowed for the duration of the time spent in the parking lot.

 

 

michelle

Edited by CurmudgeonlyGal
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I sat outside in the garden with my husband last night for an hour or so. The sky was dark, and the milky way seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed watching some of the meteors. I wish that we could participate in the event, it's totally something we would normally do if life were just a bit gentler on us right now. But we're planning on heading up above our house a little ways tomorrow night where it's darker, and watching the display from there. We'll be with you guys in spirit. :cry:

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For someone who can't make the hike where would be a good spot in the north end (Everett-ish) to see the show?

 

If I wasn't so darn lazy I bet this would be a good spot: Craft Island

 

If you go out a week before or after the peak you can see plenty. I just came back from E. Oregon and saw dozens each night I went out to look. The weather is looking sucky for the west side, so go east young man!......Table Mountain is the place to be.

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We're making a nightly thing of it. :unsure: Tonight we did it right and took out our nice chairs that lay back and some blankies. We stayed for about an hour or so. Just staring at the stars and the milky way and talking (and listening to the loud frogs and petting the outdoor, purring, kitty) was enough. The occasional bright streak was just the icing. :unsure: It was a bit cloudy unfortunately, but we still saw plenty. :unsure:

 

70f68ebb-a17b-4068-9c2d-ed6189b40c5a.jpg

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Short notice but: It's clear on the east side of the Cascades, and tonight (Sunday) is the Perseids peak. Supposed to be the best viewing in years, due to no moon. Also, Mars is very prominent in the sky right now.

 

If I can get some company, I'm thinking of making a run over to Table Mountain (near Ellensburg) this evening to view them. This is a great locale, it's where the annual astronomers' Star Party is held - dark, clear skies. (I attended two years ago, which also coincided with the Perseids and an appearance from Mars.)

 

Wouldn't leave till early evening, since best viewing will be after 10 pm. Obviously, we wouldn't get back till early a.m., so if you work early Monday, probably not for you. :) Possibly leave East Side (Bellevue area) about 7 pm, returning 2-3 am.

 

Any takers? If so, drop me an email ASAP so we can make arrangements.

Edited by hydnsek
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Well here's hoping you all had a great time at Col Bob's... for those of you who drove on highway 12 around 8:30 Saturday morning you probably all drove past a white neon stranded at the side of the road about 15 miles before Aberdeen.... yes that was us....

 

My 'Check Engine' light came on and I had barely finished explaining to Jo that these lights never mean anything and are just a conspiracy to make you take your car into the shop when the engine died. My timing belt disintegrated and after a 2.5 hour wait for a tow we ended up spending the night in Olympia and having to get a ride back home today as they couldn't get the parts to fix it... now I'm just hoping the engine didn't internally break which apparently can happen on this kind of engine.

 

Oh well maybe next year....

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I sat outside in the garden with my husband last night for an hour or so. The sky was dark, and the milky way seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed watching some of the meteors. I wish that we could participate in the event, it's totally something we would normally do if life were just a bit gentler on us right now. But we're planning on heading up above our house a little ways tomorrow night where it's darker, and watching the display from there. We'll be with you guys in spirit. :)

Hopefully tou were a lot dryer :)

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over cast in Hope B. C. last night ... :) we should have stayed in Eastern Washington. The campground there was nicer and it was free and I bet the sky was clear there..

When I left Spokane at 6:30 this morning there was a high overcast. No idea when it showed up. It was gone in a few hours.

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I sat outside in the garden with my husband last night for an hour or so. The sky was dark, and the milky way seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed watching some of the meteors. I wish that we could participate in the event, it's totally something we would normally do if life were just a bit gentler on us right now. But we're planning on heading up above our house a little ways tomorrow night where it's darker, and watching the display from there. We'll be with you guys in spirit. :)

Hopefully tou were a lot dryer :)

So, tell us how it went! Did it really rain on you? Bummer!

 

K7-wave and I are headed east this evening to Table Mountain in hopes of clear skies and lots of pretty streamers.

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I sat outside in the garden with my husband last night for an hour or so. The sky was dark, and the milky way seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed watching some of the meteors. I wish that we could participate in the event, it's totally something we would normally do if life were just a bit gentler on us right now. But we're planning on heading up above our house a little ways tomorrow night where it's darker, and watching the display from there. We'll be with you guys in spirit. ;)

Hopefully tou were a lot dryer ;)

So, tell us how it went! Did it really rain on you? Bummer!

 

K7-wave and I are headed east this evening to Table Mountain in hopes of clear skies and lots of pretty streamers.

Yes it rained, not real hard but enough to get lots of stuff wet and number of people showed up not prepared for the rain. The owrst part of the rain were the clouds that prevented any meteor viewing.

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Cloudy all day Saturday with some breaks. Cloudy all night Saturday night with some breaks. It broke for rain, rain and rain so thunderous we didn't need lightning and thunder which thankfully was lacking. It started with a hint of a drizzle around 8:30 and it built up into a crescendo around 11:30 to go on and off until 1:15 AM when I woke up to the dead silence, a misty sky that barely let the stars through. I understand the clouds did break up for a few minutes, but I was too preoccupied at how slick my pad was that let me slide sideways off of it all night long.

 

Other than that, it was a great weekend with a great crowd of people that you barely knew was there just looking out over the valley. Pictures to follow later. ;)

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[K7-wave and I are headed east this evening to Table Mountain in hopes of clear skies and lots of pretty streamers.

So much for that idea..... ;) The further east we drove, the worse the clouds looked. Then I got a call from GeekGirl, who was at her place outside Ellensburg. It had started to rain a bit there, and the clouds looked pretty solid. So, we aborted our rendezvous, turned around at Gold Creek, and came sulking back. She said it was crystal clear over there (east side) last night (Saturday), but they only watched a few meteors, cos they knew the big night was tonight..... oops.

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Well it was fun even without seeing any meteors. But heck if you are reading this right now why not just step outside? Just after 10PM you can see a real slow meteor too:

 

ISS Mon Aug 13/10:03 PM 2 57 30 above NW 37 above ENE

 

 

We spent the weekend at Longbeach. Friday night was clear as can be and we saw a dozen or so meteors. Also saw the ISS and it flared up twice, which was really cool! I've heard of it before, but I've never seen it flare up like that. It just zoomed along like a satellite in the sky, then got really really really bright, then faded, then flared up again.

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Weird! Mine shows 4.4 up to the flats, but only 3.5 down.

 

And 2.2 for the summit round trip.

It's all the stopping we did on the way up. If you look at your track on the way up there is probably a lot of track wandering at the rest stops. If you edit those out of your track it will probably come in a lot closer to the down hill distance.

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