Saturday, April 15, 2017

M is for Meteors and Mars


We're on the A-Z Challenge, exploring heavenly bodies. According to the modern list of 88 constellations, there are four beginning with the letter M”:  Mensa, Microscopium, Monoceros, and Musca.  They are all “recent” constellations, mostly “discovered” when sailors from Europe began to explore the oceans south of the Equator.  Since I can’t find any of these constellations and they lack mythological stories, we’re going to look elsewhere.  To me, M is for Meteors and Mars.

I became interested in meteors as a child.  It was in the mid-60s and we were at Ralph and Louise’s house (he was my great-uncle, my granddaddy’s brother).  It was August and we were standing out on the front yard.  Lightning bugs were flickering around and in the humid air the scent of flowers teases our noses.  Maybe that’s why someone looked up and saw a “falling star.”  Then we were all looking up and watching stars fall toward earth.  For a long time afterwards, I would gaze at the Big Dipper, just waiting to see one of those stars fall.  Then, as I learned that that dipper had been that way for thousands of years I became discouraged.  It was sad to realize that I would never see a falling star.  Of course, as I was interested in what I’d seen, I began to read and learned that meteors weren’t stars but cosmic trash burning up in the atmosphere, and that meteor showers are often the remnants of comets or other such objects and when the earth moves through the debris field, we get a shower. 

What I had witnessed that August night in the mid-60s was probably the Perseid Meteor Showers.  Over the years, I have seen this shower many times.  I remember watching it one evening while camping with an old girlfriend at a hot springs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  I also saw it while hiking a section of the John Muir Trail.  When living in Utah, we would watch it from our back patio, which was screened from streetlights by the house.  This year promises to be a good show, as the moon is waning and won’t drown the meteors out with its light. Look for them at the peak between August 9 and the 13th. 


Mars, the red planet, is the fourth planet from the sun.  It’s a small planet, which is a good thing for its namesake (it was named for the god of war, and war is best kept to a minimum).  Only Mercury is smaller.  Although small, it can be bright in the sky (at times, it is even brighter than Jupiter, making it the fourth brightest object in the sky (behind the Sun, the Moon and Venus).  Like earth, the planet has an axial tilt, that provides for seasons.  It also has a rotation that is just a little slower than earth's. The planet has been studied for at least 3500 years, going back to ancient Egyptian astronomers.  It was a favorite local for Science Fiction writers to populate with alien beings, some of who as in H. G. Wells War of the Worlds, attacked earth.


You can observe Mars this month in the west, just above the horizon, after dusk.  It is dropping in the sky and because it’s distance is so far away, isn’t nearly as bright as it was last summer.  By the end of the month, the planet will barely be visible as it orbit is on the other side of the sun. 

Did you ever think that “falling stars” were literally, falling stars?

Have you been able to spot the Mars in the sky?

What do you think happened to Martians

Do you have a suggestion for what I might explore under the letters W through Y? 


22 comments:

  1. What about WATER, its presence/absence/importance related to Heavenly Bodies?

    Affirmations for a Good Life

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  2. We have been able to see Mars on occasions, but I've always missed the meteor showers.
    Y for Yuri Gagarin?
    Thanks for your visit http://bit.ly/2pCbDhS

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  3. Mars was really bright when I was in Death Valley a few years ago. Death Valley is a great place for looking at the sky. I’ve seen the Perseid Meteor Shower from my backyard. Someday I’d like to see it from a place that has less light pollution.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  4. Now wouldn't that be something if life and inhabitants of mars happened in our lifetime? I grew up with My Favorite Martian you know. Falling stars (to make a wish) and finding four leaf clovers were two of my fave childhood things to do! Kind of still are too! It seems all those childhood legends and such handed down to me, I've been handing down as well. Happy Easter to you and your family and Monday will bring to light how this administration handles the egg roll! I hope they honor it.

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  5. I have always lived in places surrounded by trees, so my view of the sky has been limited. I was amazed when we were in Sedona years ago.

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  6. I love watching meteors! We try to watch them (clear skies allowing!) whenever we're in Dumfries and Galloway which has the darkest skies in Scotland.

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  7. I used to live in the north woods of Michigan on a lake, but I never saw the falling stars when they were predicted. Now I'm in the city surrounded by trees and lights so may never have the chance.

    I think the Martians are just waiting and will step in soon with the ultimatum to the earth to get it together or they'll have to blow us up.

    Finding Eliza

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  8. I love a good meteor shower and I'm encouraged to know the Perseids should be good viewing this year. Now if it just won't be cloudy!

    My phone app lists those four "M"s, though I've never heard of any of them. It tells me only Microscopium is currently visible.

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  9. After watching all those meteor type movies, meteors kinda scare me now. If a big one hits us we're doomed.

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  10. I remember a curious story about the travel of the comets. The means they calculated the great ellipse deployed a wine barrel, half filled or so, and tilted on one edge so the wine lapped -just- the top and the bottom, but holding to the walls all the same.

    Any tips on a life jacket for my inflatable canoe. There's 3872 options on Amz.
    I've been reading up on them, the inflatable canoes, and it seem they can be used for white water. And are regularly in Colorado.

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  11. Finally a break from rain. You've inspired me to check out the sky tonight.

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  12. ... saw many falling stars so far and some shooting stars as well ... Awesome post, thank you, friend Sage. Love, cat

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  13. o ya .. and happy egg day ... smiles.

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  14. I believe we will find Martians, the microbial type, underground or inside caves hidden away from the harsh UV radiation that rains down on the surface. The question for me is since Mars and Earth have been exchanging rocks for billions of years where will this hypothetical life first developed.

    If we find life on Mars and see it is made up with Earth-like DNA I think the astrobiology people will freak out almost as much than if it was completely alien.

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  15. Great post. Meteorites, the Red Planet, and falling stars, who doesn’t love that! Thanks for visiting my blog: M for Magic Mike
    Shari

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  16. I'm pretty sure I thought falling stars were literally falling stars. I'll have to try and remember the meteor shower in August. Though, it doesn't get too dark here in Sweden in the summer, so I'm not sure how much we'll be able to see. ;)

    A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs

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  17. Anything about Mars has always captured my imagination.

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  18. This post really brought back so many memories for me, Sage. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't remember when I learned that falling stars were meteors. I was probably really young, pre-kindergarten. I've stayed up many a night trying to wish on a falling star. Can't remember if my wishes came true, but I remember the wonder of the night sky. I've watched Mars over the years. A decade or more ago the planet approached its closest point with the Earth in about 60,000 years. I was out observing it eagerly. It just so happened that Terry and I went to a James Taylor concert at Red Rocks at that time. Throughout the whole concert Mars was hanging in the sky like an orange marble. Mars and Taylor together were magic, although I have to admit I looked at Mars more than him. I've spent quite a few nights catching the Perseid Meteor Showers. I've motivated some of my second and third graders to watch them too ~ maybe not the best thing, because I actually had one nine year old sneak out of her window onto her roof to watch them to the consternation of her parents. Lots of others going out into their backyards to watch them or begging their parents to take them to a dark area. LOL Teachers are powerful. Thanks for a great post!

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  19. Love the picture of Mars and your information ...
    Thanks

    All the best Jan

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  20. Hearing about falling stars always makes me think of that old Perry Como song, "Catch a Falling Star." Fun post!

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