Perseid Meteors with a Cosmic Coincidence! Aug 12-13, 2011

Space Weather News for Aug 12, 2011

METEOR SHOWER: The Perseid meteor shower is underway. International observers are now reporting more than 20 meteors per hour as Earth passes through a stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on the night of Aug 12-13. The best time to look is during the hours before dawn on Saturday morning, August 13th, when the glaring Moon is relatively low and meteor rates are highest.

Visit Space Weather News for full coverage.

WATCH OUT FOR THE SPACE STATION, TOO: Consider it a cosmic coincidence. During the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, the International Space Station will fly over many US towns and cities.

The behemoth spacecraft is easy to see if you know when to look. Check SpaceWeather.com's Simple Satellite Tracker for flyby times. #

Plus, you may wish to check out a little Astrology on Perseus the Prince, the archetype of the constellation associated with the annual Perseid meteor shower.

And there's another post that concerns Perseus and the stars linked to the natal chart of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange.

Or how about a smidgeon of Cosmic Art titled Comet Skies?

Image imported from my Secret Moon Art collection of drawings. jc

It's Perseid meteor time! August 12 and 13, 2010

Avoid the city lights: it's time to look toward the starry heavens!

Space Weather News for August 12, 2010

PERSEID METEOR SHOWER: The annual Perseid meteor shower is underway. Earth is passing through a wide stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, and each time a fleck of comet dust hits Earth's atmosphere--flash!--there is a meteor. Forecasters say the shower will peak on Thursday, August 12, and Friday, August 13.

You can see Perseids flitting across the sky at any time between about 10 pm on Thursday evening and sunrise on Friday morning. Observers who get away from city lights can expect to count dozens of meteors per hour, especially during the dark hours before dawn.

Tune into SpaceWeather.com for full coverage of the shower, including a live meteor radar, a "fireball cam," updated meteor counts and pictures from around the world.

BONUS: If you go outside a little early on Thursday evening, around sunset, you'll see a beautiful gathering of planets in the sunset sky--Venus, Mars, Saturn and the crescent Moon. It's a nice way to start a meteor watch.

Sky maps may be found at SpaceWeather News.

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Yes, the Perseids, plus, the line-up of planets with the Crescent Moon, will be a lovely sight to see, agreed. This Crescent Moon marks the beginning of Ramadan 2010, however, and the inclusion of 3 planets with this particular Crescent Moon (Ramadan starts with the sighting of the Lunar sliver, the symbol found on flags of the region) is significant this year.

But with Capulus and Algol (male and female rage) in the picture, two strong Fixed Stars associated with the Middle East, the energy this August may be more warrior-like than most people wish. So you may wish to read my post from August 2009 for more details on Perseus the Prince. Or, perhaps you wish to simply look toward the starry heavens tonight and enjoy!

Perseids peak 8.12.09 and warriors abound

Space Weather News for August 11, 2009

The Perseid meteor shower is about to peak. The show begins after sunset on Tuesday, August 11, and continues until the sun rises on Wednesday, August 12. A time of particular interest is 0800-0900 GMT (1-2 am PDT) on the 12. That's when Earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid parent Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Forecasters are unsure what will happen, but some have speculated that meteor rates could surge as high as 200 per hour. Bright moonlight will blot out many of those Perseids, but even a fraction of 200 is a good show.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for full coverage of the Perseids.

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And see my previous post for another other celestial event on August 12: America's Mars Return 2009.

As you remember, the constellation Perseus is called, The Prince. The brightest star in Perseus is Mirfak (Alpha Perseus); keywords: young male energy. Perseus is the young warrior proud of his strength. Listening to the wisdom of others or being cautious isn't part of the script for Perseus who may overestimate his physical prowess.

Beta Perseus is none other than the raging star, Algol; keywords: intense female passion. Algol isn't always a negative influence, but an unconscious compulsion to take revenge is mankind's usual application of its energy when connected to planets in a chart.

Algol has a partner, another difficult star - a cluster actually - in Perseus, Capulus; keywords: male kundalini energy. Ruthlessness and savagery are often seen with this faint fellow who nevertheless is very action-oriented.

(On one level, these currently emphasized energies bring to mind townhall shouters and rioters across America!)

Yes, all three stars can make for a destructive team, yet their energies may be used positively, too, for clear and focused action. For as it often is, it's motivation that makes all the difference.

Star details: Brady's Fixed Stars.