If you are intrigued by the concept of space travel and exploration, no doubt you watched or read about the launch of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance spacecraft on July 30. NASA's 29th mission to Mars (22 of which have been successful), Perseverance is slated to arrive at the Red Planet in February 2021, after a 7-month, 480-million-kilometre journey, to continue NASA's ongoing exploration of Mars in preparation for its ultimate goal: landing humans on the planet's surface in the next decade or two.
I remember, as a very young child (I was 5 at the time), my mother telling me that one day, when I was grown up, people would walk on the Moon. Sure enough, in 1969, when I was 21, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the Moon's surface from the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Perhaps my mother was prophetic to foresee this event, or perhaps, as I suspect, she was just intuitive enough to understand that humankind's destiny ultimately lies out there, beyond Earth, among the stars.
Perhaps there is some component of the human genome that, like that which causes some animals to migrate, is responsible for humankind's celestial wanderlust. Having explored and settled most every corner of our planet, perhaps this innate instinct to move onward is now driving us to consider migrating outwards from Earth to distant worlds.
Perhaps there is some component of the human genome that, like that which causes some animals to migrate, is responsible for humankind's celestial wanderlust.
Whatever the genesis of my mother's statement, it ignited in me a burning desire and an insatiable curiosity to know more about what was "out there". It is a desire and curiosity that has lasted my whole life, and will, no doubt, remain with me until I draw my final breath. Without waxing too poetic, I like to think that, even then, some part of me will continue, as Star Trek's Captain James T. Kirk states, "to explore strange new worlds" across the eternity of outer space.
My granddaughter, Scarlet, has a fascination with outer space, constantly asking me what lies beyond the planets, our solar system, and the Milky Way Galaxy. Of course, it is a curiosity that I readily and happily feed, answering her questions (in greater detail and depth as she grows older), encouraging her to read my astronomy books (and columns), to pick out her own astronomy books ("space books" as she calls them) at the library, or to go on-line and look up the information herself.
It is both amazing and gratifying to not only watch her search for the answers by herself, but also to watch where those searches take her in terms of the array of astronomy topics she delves into. As her knowledge base expands, so does the distance she travels outward from Earth; she is currently focused on the Oort Cloud, the massive sphere of frozen ice bodies out beyond Pluto.
Her plan (at 8 years old) is to be the first woman astronaut to walk on Mars, or, should another woman beat her to that prize, to be the first woman to pilot a spaceship to another planet in a distant star system. "Attention, this is Captain Scarlet speaking."
If you have children and/or grandchildren who show an interest in astronomy, I urge you to encourage that interest. Just as my mother's insightful statement fostered my abiding love of and curiosity about outer space, your encouragement and support (and, perhaps, shared interest) may well result in your child, grandchild or great-grandchild one day walking on another planet or moon, or travelling out into space as a crew member on a fact-finding exploration. Perhaps, he or she may even be part of my granddaughter's crew.
One of the ways to foster an interest in outer space in your children/grandchildren is to get them outside to watch a meteor shower. Children of any age love to watch for "shooting stars", and the warm summer evenings of August are just the time to afford them that opportunity. The annual Perseid meteor shower (radiant in Perseus - the Prince) peaks during the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 11 - 13.
Though light from the Last Quarter Moon will, after it has risen, somewhat reduce the overall number of meteors observable on those dates, the Perseids are known for their large number of extremely bright meteors, many of which, in the absence of cloud cover, will still be highly visible.
Earlier in the evening, you may see some Perseid "earthgrazers" - colourful meteors that travel slowly and horizontally across the pre-midnight sky, when the meteor shower's radiant (apparent point of origin in the sky) is just below or just above the eastern horizon. While the main peak of most meteor showers usually occurs after midnight, starting to watch for the Perseids during the mid-to-late evening period (perhaps more conducive to maintaining the interest of your young, sleepy-eyed observers), before the Moon rises, could significantly increase the total number of meteors seen.
Go to thismoonrise and moonset calculator to find your local moonrise/set times. Also, watching for Perseids on the nights/mornings after the noted peak dates might produce a large number of viewed meteors. As the week progresses, there will be less moonlight to contend with, as the Moon phase changes from Last Quarter towards a gibbous phase. Finally, the well-known variableness of meteor showers, even a famous one such as the Perseids, sometimes brings surprisingly large numbers of meteors in the days following designated peak dates; it is always worth a try, particularly if you are clouded out during the predicted peak period.
Heading towards superior conjunction with the Sun on Aug. 17, Mercury is now too close to the Sun to be observed. Venus (mag. -4.32) is that wonderfully brilliant "morning star" visible in the eastern, pre-dawn sky. Rising in the east around 2:30 a.m., Venus will be observable 31 degrees above the eastern horizon until dawn breaks around 5:45 a.m.
Mars (mag. -1.3) is visible about 7 degrees above the eastern horizon around 11:45 p.m., reaching a height of 48 degrees above the southern horizon before fading in the dawn twilight. Jupiter and Saturn are both visible in the southeast evening sky by about 9 p.m. Jupiter (mag. -2.68) reaches its highest point (21 degrees) in the southern sky shortly after 11 p.m., remaining observable until about 2:30 a.m. when it sinks below 7 degrees above the southwest horizon. Saturn (mag. +0.2) hits its highest point in the southern sky shortly before midnight, disappearing from view around 3 a.m. when it dips below 10 degrees above the southwest horizon.
Until next week, clear skies.
RELATED:
Go here to see the original:
ATLANTIC SKIES: Young astronomers and the Perseid meteors - SaltWire Network
- A Real Life Hibernation Chamber is Being Made For Deep Space Travel - Futurism - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Humans to be FROZEN IN TIME for space travel as scientists move to COLONISE other planets - Express.co.uk - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space flight changes astronauts' brains, research reveals - Fox News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel changes DNA, study finds - STLtoday.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel visionaries solve the problem of interstellar slowdown ... - Science Daily - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Quantum Entanglement May Be Key To Long Distance Space Travel Ex Lockheed Exec Said It's Already Happening - Collective Evolution - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Is This Buzz Aldrin-Inspired Locomotive The Future Of Space Travel? - Forbes - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Celestial bodies: The Kelly twins offer a vital sign for space travel ... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel visionaries solve the problem of interstellar slowdown at Alpha Centauri - Phys.Org - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Newspaper review: Heartthrob and space travel in Wednesday's papers - BBC News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Another View: NASA's Twins Study offers vital sign for space travel - Press Herald - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Piece of tragic shuttle history gets a second chance at space travel - WQAD.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Meet Shawn Pandya, The Third Indian-Origin Woman To Space-Travel - Huffington Post India - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Shawna Pandya clears the air on rumours of space travel - Daily News & Analysis - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Expanse and Frankie Adams: Meet the Kiwi who's conquered space travel - Stuff.co.nz - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Did a CSU study find that space travel makes you younger? Not so ... - The Denver Post - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Twins study offers valuable data on space travel - Herald-Whig - - Herald-Whig - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Expanse and Frankie Adams: Meet the Kiwi who's conquered space travel - Waikato Times - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Kelly twins offer a vital sign for space travel - San Angelo Standard Times - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Lacoste delves into the world of space travel at New York Fashion Week as Baptista honours founder's lesser-known ... - Evening Standard - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- NASA's Irish Twins Study reveals first results of space travel on humans - IrishCentral - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Starbound to revamp space travel in future update - PC Gamer - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- How Does Long-Term Space Travel Affect Humans? - Voice of America - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- A VR Company is Attempting to Make Holographic Videos for Space Travel - Mobile Magazine - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Two-Time Space Traveling Astronaut to Speak at Black History ... - Patriots Point - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Make space travel great again: NASA, heeding Trump, may add astronauts to a test flight moon mission - National Post - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- In recently unearthed essay, Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and extraterrestrial life - The Providence Journal - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Twins in space: intergalactic travel could change DNA - The Student - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- An unearthed essay reveals Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and aliens - Stuff.co.nz - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Focus Friday: The necessity of space travel - The Daily Cougar - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- NASA announces $2m investment on technology advancement for deep space travel - WDSU New Orleans - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Focus Friday: The necessity of space travel - The Daily Cougar - The Daily Cougar - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Ask Ethan: How Can I Travel Through Space Without Getting Into Trouble? - Forbes - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Do You Have The Right Personality For Long-Term Space Travel ... - Seeker - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- In recently unearthed essay, Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and extraterrestrial life - Washington Post - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- UK bids to be world leader in Space travel by 2020 - Daily Star - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Know before you fly: privatized space travel - Observer Online - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- You could fly to SPACE from the UK within three years as plans are for space port are unveiled - The Sun - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Cosmic cinema: spurring interest in real-life space travel? - Miami Student - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Commercial space travel could be ready as early as 2020 - New York Post - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- This Finnish startup democratizes space travel and it just raised over 3 million to find the next 'Slumdog ... - Business Insider Nordic - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Commercial space travel WITHIN THREE YEARS on flights to launch from BRITAIN - Express.co.uk - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Katherine Johnson led African American efforts in space travel - Farm and Dairy - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Space travel is measured in light years, but what's a light year anyway? - MyStatesman.com - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- TRAPPIST-1: How Long Would It Take to Fly to 7-Planet System? - Space.com - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- NASA Looking for Bright Ideas to Help With Space Travel - Tech.Co - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- The history of space travel encapsulated - Fairfaxtimes.com - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- SpaceX's reusable rockets make space travel much cheaper - The ... - CMU The Tartan Online - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Stars align for space travel at memorable Oscars ceremony - Siliconrepublic.com - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- FSU researcher to lead US-Russia project on health, space travel - Florida State News - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Crowding the cosmos: space travel turns private - The Student - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Forget SpaceX: 10 companies that will change space travel in 2017 & 2018 - Geektime - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Safe space travel: Protecting alien worlds from earthlings - and vice versa - Deutsche Welle - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Watch: 'Black Holes' A Satirical Comedy About Space Travel From Sundance 2017 - Konbini US - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Doctor Launches Vision Quest To Help Astronauts' Eyeballs - NPR - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Beyond Earth talking about space travel - Alaska Public Radio Network - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Would You Book A Flight To The Moon? - The Alternative Daily (blog) - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Colorado Likely To Benefit From Privatized Space Travel - CBS Local - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- NEC develops reliable FPGAs for space travel - Electronics Weekly - Electronics Weekly - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- 4 Entrepreneurs Changing the Way We Think About Space Travel - Tech.Co - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Why Space Travel Can Be Absolutely Disgusting - Live Science - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Exploring private space travel - Indiana Daily Student - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Harvard Scientists Theorize That Fast Radio Bursts Come From Alien Space Travel - Popular Mechanics - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: US congress approves $19.5 billion for NASA to get humans to Mars by 2033 - NTA News - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- MIT Conference To Focus On Space Travel For The Public - CBS Boston / WBZ - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Reusing rockets is best way to advance space travel, SpaceX officer tells symposium attendees - Colorado Springs Gazette - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- How space travel leads to cognitive shifts in awareness | Life and ... - The Guardian - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cheap space travel, electric cars and a whirlwind love life love life... the billionaire genius inventing our future - Mirror.co.uk - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Reusable rockets key for space travel industry - Alamogordo Daily News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Is this massive airplane the future of space travel? One billionaire thinks so. - SOFREP (press release) (subscription) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- spotlight - NYCAviation - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- BBC commissions documentary about commercial space travel fronted by Brian Cox - Radio Times - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- The Physics of Interstellar Travel : Explorations in ... - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Mars rover scientist, SpaceX engineer join NASA astronaut corps - Reuters - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- How SpaceX Launched a Chinese Experiment Into Space, Despite US Ban - Foreign Policy (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- 'Blast Camp' gives students lessons on space travel - Fremont News Messenger - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- IKEA looks to space travel for new micro-living furniture collection - Dezeen - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- HPE's next frontier: Space travel & memory-driven computing - IT Brief Australia - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- 20 Out-Of-This-World Companies Working On Space Travel Technologies - Interesting Engineering - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Here's how space travel is helping keep you healthy - Eyewitness News - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]