Shooting Stars
Mid-August is a great time for a Shooting Star Party. Just gather with some friends after sunset, spread sheets on the ground, and gaze upward. Although some individuals with autism might not seem to notice the bright streaks through the night sky, it is still a relaxing, enjoyable experience. A bit of planning and a bit of knowledge about “shooting stars” can make this nighttime adventure a great success.
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SOME IDEAS. The best way to see shooting stars is to find a place in the country or in a park away from the glare and glow of lights. The moon can also interfere with viewing meteors, so pick a time when the moon is not hogging the sky. Take lawn chairs that lay flat or sheets to spread on the ground. You don’t need binoculars or a telescope to see meteors – they will flash so quickly and brightly in the night sky that you can see them by simply looking up.
In mid-August, the earth crosses through a band of tiny bits of dust from the tail of the Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Because the comet dust streaks through the earth’s upper atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour, it flashes brightly in our night sky. The flashes look like shooting stars, but are actually meteors. This annual event, called the Perseid meteor shower, results in up to 30 meteors an hour. During this August shower, you will see most of the meteors in the northeast section of the sky. Other moving objects you will notice are airplanes flying high above the earth (they have flashing lights) and satellites that look like stars that move steadily across the night sky from left to right.
Before going out for your Shooting Star Party, encourage your friend with autism to find out interesting facts about meteors by clicking on Astronomy.com or Stardate.org. For example, they will read that most meteors are smaller than a grain of sand. They will also learn that meteors streak across the sky 24 hours a day. It is just that we cannot see them during the daytime. In fact, several hundred tons of meteors burn up in the atmosphere every single day. Very few meteors survive their fall through the earth’s atmosphere. Those that do are called meteorites.
You can enjoy the bright streaks that light up our night sky at any time of year, but you will want to mark your calendar for mid-August to see a literal shower of shooting stars.
NOTE TO LISTENERS AND READERS. I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. I encourage you to click on www.FAQautism.com now. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. You can click on a button to send me an email with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solutions. Check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. www.FAQautism.com
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