Sharing the Perseids With #Meteorwatch

astroengine writes "The Perseid meteor shower is just beginning as the Earth passes through the dusty trail left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteor count is set to peak on Aug. 12. In a grand social media experiment, a guy (in a shed) located in the south of the UK is restarting #Meteorwatch, a Twitter-based community of shooting star observers. Last year, during the Geminid meteor shower, thousands of 'virtual observers' participated, making this one of the largest astronomy gatherings of its kind. With some new gadgets and a Hollywood-style #Meteorwatch trailer at his disposal, Adrian West is spending many sleepless nights counting meteors with the rest of the world." It's too bad it doesn't get dark until after my kid's bed time. In another year or two, I really am looking forward to exposing him to the Perseids.

Hmm?

[pedantic bore]

I'd rather see a single shooting star than ten thousand tweets saying "Wow, I just saw one. Did you see it too?"

To each his own, but I don't need social networking to enjoy a meteor shower. A blanket, an empty field far the the city lights, and a couple of friends, and I'm all set.

is this what we've come to?

[mcmonkey]

"It's to bad that it doesn't get dark until after my kids bed time. In another year or two, I really am looking forward to exposing him to the Perseids."

Seriously? Kid can't stay up late for a meteor shower? No exceptions?

I suppose there's also no cake on his birthday, because you don't allow sweets.

You and your child are missing out. I have fond memories of my mother dragging us out of bed in the middle of the night for a lunar eclipse.

BED TIME BE DAMNED

[moeluv]

This falls past my kids' bedtime too, but for things like this it's ok to move bedtime back a bit. Sharing little things like this with kids is a great bonding experience and can encourage a sense of imagination and wonder for science. It's not like you're letting them stay up to watch Disney or some garbage like that.