This morning we started our first sample cast aroumd 4:40 a.m. The stars were visible for the first time. I could clearly see the constellation Orion, with Gemini close behind. Casseopeia was visible overhead, but I could not see the Dippers. A bit later, Sirius, Orion's hunting dog, rose over the horizon. The moon is in a waning gibbous phase- about 87% of the disc is visible now. I saw 2 meteorites burn overhead. They are probably at the tail end of the Persieds meteor shower.

The Perseids is a strong meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a meteor stream. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passed by the Sun.


The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the first known information on these meteors coming from the Far East. The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity between August 8 and 14, peaking about August 12. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle's orbit, Perseids are primarily visible in the northern hemisphere. (Source: StarDome http://www.astronomy.com/asy/stardome/)


Make a NASA starfinder: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/st6starfinder/st6starfinder.shtml


Yesterday afternoon, a sandpiper landed on board the ship. It is supposed to be a beach bird, so clearly it was lost. It wandered around on the back deck, looking perplexed. After a while it flew off again.

Alison netted 2 sea horses the other day near the Jersey shore. She has them in a jar so she can release them back into water of the proper depth when we get nearer to shore. They are doing quite well. She changes their water twice a day to keep up the oxygen and to provide food.