# Anybody interested (even slightly) in astronomy \*\*Read This\*\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2000, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100 "2000-08-12T09:29:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/1 "2000-08-12T09:29:56Z")
Tonight is the night of the Persid meteor showers. I just saw 3 in about 1 minute, so things are looking good. Also if you live even slightly north(above 45 degrees lat.), look outside, there is a monster aurora, stretching from horizon to horizon (at least at 53 degrees lat. ). For best viewing of the meteor shower, find the North Star and look to the right. You should see something PDQ. P.S. Forgive the poor writing in this post, it’s late and frankly I’m in a rush to get outside.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/2 "2000-08-12T09:54:58Z")
I know! And it’s overcast here! The Perseids are important to me, too, for reasons I can tell to the interested. This is also the weekend for two dopefsts – Persephone has already said that they’ll be looking for th Perseids at hers in Michigan (?). But here in Boston we’re all blacked out. ---
**Author:** ![Zoing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zoing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoing)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/3 "2000-08-12T10:14:39Z")
Why do I never hear about these things until it’s too late to do anything about it? ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/4 "2000-08-12T10:24:11Z")
Overcast. My heart goes out to you big time. I used to live on the coast and we were **always** clouded over on the nights when anything significant was bound to happen. I have a confession to make though. I forgot tonight was the night of the Perseid shower. ::hangs head in shame:: I just went out to watch the aurora, and saw a couple of bright meteors. Once the gears started to grind I realized that it was the second week of august and that something big happens around this time. Oh well, I’m glad I didn’t miss it. Anyhoo, please tell me of your interest in the Persieds, I’m curious to know. (My interest in them is due to the fact that I’m a bit of an astronomy nut, so anything up there will draw my attention.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/5 "2000-08-12T10:47:15Z")
Perseid meteors figure in the myth of Perseus. You might say “Duh”, but people haven’t been quick to pick this up. 1.) Perseus was the son of Zeus, who visited his mother Danae in the form of shower of Gold. A couple of people have suggested that this connection might be there. I’m indebted to David Ulansey, author of “The Origins of th Mithraic Mysteries”, who first suggested it to me. A.B. Cook, author of “Zeus”, suggested that the chest into which Perseus and Danae were later placed was decoraed with stars for just this reason . (I’ve seen many examples of this scene in Greek vase painting, and it’s true – the chest is always decorated with stars.) 2.) I suggest that the Perseid meteors might be the Eye of th Gaiae that Pereus casts into Lake Tritonis. The Perseids reach their peak just as the radiant of the shower (the point from which they appear to radiate) passes near the otherwise unremarkable stars designated by Ptolemy as the hand of Perseus. For more info, see my new book “Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon” at [http://www.MedusaMystery.com](http://www.MedusaMystery.com) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-interested-even-slightly-in-astronomy-read-this/29100/6 "2000-08-12T12:21:33Z")
North Star? Where’s that? _peers out at Australian night skies_