This post won't have amazing pictures because it was nearly impossible for me to capture the moon, stars and meteors on Friday night/Saturday morning with my camera, but I can tell you how much fun my husband and I had watching nature's show.
We got up at 2:30 a.m. EST and I grabbed my daughter's childhood sleeping bags (Lion King and 101 Dalmatians), fleece throws and some pillows, and headed outdoors. My husband grabbed the camera, tripod and coffee and still in our pajamas, we set up camp and watched the night skies until 5:30. This is not our first time to be stargazers but there are so many new technology tools that made the process more meaningful.
Our home is minutes from the airport so unfortunately the skies are generally bright and the full moon added even more light to the sky but we positioned our viewing station in the NE side of the house and the house itself helped block the view of the moon.
It took a while for our eyes to adjust but it wasn't long before we could see a very faint formation that looked to be Camelopardalis.
My husband helped us find the best viewing direction and assisted in identifying what we were seeing with an iPhone app called "Planets" and there are plenty more apps and websites to help you for those interested in night skies. The coolest was being able to chat with other stargazers about what they were seeing (or not) on the NASA website (yes, I had my iPad with me)! The best was being able to see the meteors. Such a memorable night.
If you want to really have some fun, grab Susan Branch's Summer Cookbook and try the menu she has for an evening picnic. It's the best cookbook ever for this time of year.
If you want to really have some fun, grab Susan Branch's Summer Cookbook and try the menu she has for an evening picnic. It's the best cookbook ever for this time of year.
So today I'm celebrating our Dog Days of Summer with The Tablescaper and linking up with Seasonal Sundays.
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