Saturday Updates

Big meteor shower this weekend (Perseid by name).   It has just turned cloudy here (and boy, what a lightening/thunderstorm last night) but if the clouds part.  From My Northwest:

"If you watched for an hour in a typical Perseid shower, you'd probably see about 70 meteors, maybe a meteor per minute," says University of Washington astronomy professor Julie Lutz. "Some would be brighter than others. And the darker the place you can get to, the more meteors you're going to see." 

It's called the Perseid shower because the meteors come from the constellation of Perseus rising in the northeast in the late evening. 

"The best time to view it is around or after midnight, although right after it gets dark, you might see a few meteors. Just look to the northeast sky and you'll see it," says professor Lutz. 

On the night of Aug. 10-11, the night before the peak, NASA will conduct a live web chat to watch the meteor shower from 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. EDT 


From the Seattle Times, a good story about the reuse of Nathan Hale's old gymnasium seating as picnic tables.

One fun event (among the many) this weekend: learn about sailing and have a free ride in a classic boat at the Cast Off! event at the Center for Wooden Boats.  

Before and after your sail take a walk on the docks and discover the boats. Watch the volunteer crews rigging the boats. They’ll be happy to answer any question you might have, and you may even have a chance to help with the rigging!

Rides start throughout the day and last about 45 minutes. Sign-ups begin in person at 10am; space is limited and rides fill quickly. Arrive early to ensure your first choice, especially on sunny days and holidays. One person may sign up five other people who are not present, but no phone reservations are accepted. All ages are welcome and we have life jackets for everyone.  We sail rain or shine, but wind conditions may keep us at the dock.

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