Last month’s Perseid meteor shower was exciting to watch, as usual, with 50 to 100 meteorites plunging toward the Earth at breakneck speed. This year’s shower peaked on Aug. 11 and 12 and remained active, but dwindling in size and numbers, until late in August. Although the moon was 50 percent illuminated during the peak of the Perseids this year, it set around midnight, providing a dark sky until dawn, which is the best time to kick back and hang your head high into the sky for an amazing astronomical display that can’t be beat.
Me and the Missus went out onto the deck here at the stately Motley Manor around 2 a.m. on Aug. 12, right after Late Night with Seth Meyers, missing After Midnight (no biggie) and reruns of Kelly Clarkson. Anyway, we craned our collective necks for about an hour and witnessed a half dozen meteors and meteorites, sometimes known as shooting stars, heading southbound and out of sight in just a few seconds.
Catch a falling star and put in your pocket, never let it fade away. Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day, for love may come and tap you on the shoulder some starless night. Just in case you wanna’ hold her, you’ll have a pocketful of starlight. (“Catch A Falling Star – Perry Como – 1957)
Boy, does that one take you back down Memory Lane or what? What do you mean you never heard of Perry Como? OK, so you weren’t even born yet. By the way, a year later, in 1958, the Kingston Trio recorded their chart-topping hit “Tom Dooley.” What, you never heard of the Kingston Trio or Tom Dooley? Perhaps you weren’t even born yet.
Speakin’ of the Kingston Trio, the Missus and I saw them at the Greek Theater in L.A. two weekends ago (Aug. 17 and 18), along with The Limelighters, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks and the John Stewart Band. I know, all you whippersnappers out there probably never hear of them either, but l bet most of you old codgers have. Right, gang? That’s what I thought.
For all of you shooting star fans, the next major meteor showers are due on Oct. 8 and 9, when the Draconid meteor shower arrives, followed by the Leonid on Nov. 17 and 18 and the Geminid on Dec. 13 and 14. Hope it isn’t snowing.
One of the best places to view these celestial events, besides my deck, is out on the end of Playground Drive, off of Crest Forest Drive in Cedarpines Park, where the Sunday Night Flights hangliders take off.
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away. Catch a falling star, save it for a rainy day.
Keep it flyin’,
Uncle Mott
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