From geekology, Because even God shines his starlight favorably on me for my birthday, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak tonight, possibly signaling the apocalypse. Did I mention Mars, Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon will all be clustered together as well? We're as good as dead. Suck it 2012, you don't have shit on my 2010 birthday!
Across the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower will be tonight through the pre-dawn hours local time Friday, regardless of where you live. Weather permitting, patient skywatchers could see a shooting star every minute or so.
Meanwhile, Venus, Mars and Saturn are clustered in the evening sky and will be joined tonight and Friday by the graceful crescent moon. Anyone with clear skies can easily spot the foursome looming above the western horizon as soon as darkness falls.
While the planets and our moon are all very far apart in space, they appear lined up this week thanks to a special circumstance of orbital mechanics. The outer planets, Mars and Saturn, take much longer to go around the sun than the inner planet Venus. Venus "laps" the outer planets frequently, and it never strays far from the sun from our vantage point.
Now I'm not suggesting you all walk out of work right now and start birthday partying with me until the Meteor Shower of the Apocalypse arrives, but you and I both know it's the right thing to do. Seriously -- how do you want to spend your final hours: working for the man OR GETTING BELLIGERENT WITH THE GW AND SKIPPING OUT ON OUR TAB? Balls are gross in your court.
1 comment:
Dang it. I've long remembered August 12th from when I read about it in Ranger Rick magazine. Totally spaced on it this year, and I was in a perfect location. Sigh.
"Spaced." I'm a riot.
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