Geminid Meteors over Teide Volcano
Image Credit & Copyright: Juan Carlos Casado (TWAN, Earth and Stars)
Explanation: On some nights it rains meteors. Peaking two nights ago, asteroid dust streaked through the dark skies of Earth, showering down during the annual Geminids meteor shower. Astrophotographer Juan Carlos Casado captured the space weather event, as pictured above, in a series of exposures spanning about 2.3 hours using a wide angle lens.
The snowcapped Teide volcano of the Canary Islands of Spain towers in the foreground, while the picturesque constellation of Orion highlights the background. The star appearing just near the top of the volcano is Rigel.
Although the asteroid dust particles are traveling parallel to each other, the resulting meteor streaks appear to radiate from a single point on the sky, in this case in the constellation of Gemini, off the top of the image. Like train tracks appearing to converge in the distance, the meteor radiant effect is due to perspective. The astrophotographer has estimated that there are about 50 Geminids visible in the above composite image.
I meant to post this yesterday but it was just too hot to think and now I'm too tired to think so I just cut and pasted instead of looking up all the places the piece mentions. Great meteor shower though.
Yesterday I fell over, almost over and I can't begin to tell you how ridiculous the whole thing was and all because I didn't move the lamp table 6 inches. I knelt on the footstool to change the powerboard but couldn't see the switch properly so while I was faffing around, the footstool slid one way and I went the other. Fortunately the wall stopped my head and me from falling completely over the footstool. So it was head in wall, bum in air, left arm on couch, right arm on lamp table, one foot on ground and can't remember where the other foot was. I am hurting in a dozen places still but the powerboard is in place because when I pulled myself back up (and there was snivelling and sobbing) I moved the lamp table 6 inches.
IceBear was such a help, sitting beside his empty dish in the kitchen. He and the possums are not getting on together. Possums were back in the kitchen last night, snouts in the kibble. IB was in the tree, higher up than the possums so when they rolled back out with the apples I gave them, he lept from the top branch and the brawling was on. He finally strolled inside at midnight and plonked in front of the fan.
This morning I was back to Southland, early and I swear I had HoChiMinh driving the taxi. I know he's dead but this guy was driving like he had nothing to lose including his life. Bought everything on the list including a bird bell and I was sorely tempting to write in the food register at the Home, fucking bird bell for fucking parrots, but I contented myself with not writing down the custard tart I had for mum. Lunch was pototato gems and left over chicken thingies from their Christmas party, not even a bit of mayonnaise on the side. I was hungry, I ate them. Mother snarfed the custard tart.
Now I don't have to go there until Christmas Day.
I should go out and clean the water dish for the birds after the brawl in it last night but my knees are hurting. I'm trying not to mention the allergy otherwise the urge to scratch will start up again.
And I'm full of sugar. I just ate the most luscious piece of berry and almond nougat I've ever had, good stuff, it even had rice paper on it so it wouldn't stick to the wrapper. I will be good for dinner, sourdough and olive bruschetta with tomatoes and mozzarella and feta cheese. Then the jewelled Christmas Tree is being made. Hopefully I'll have photos tomorrow.
4 comments:
I've had some of that Berry and Almond nougat! It's divine. I found it in Fremantle, probably it's available somewhere here in Adelaide, but I haven't bothered to look for it.
Sorry to hear about your almost fall. Seems you and I both need to learn to think and look before doing.
Glad to hear Mother is still capable of scarfing custard tarts.
Your card arrived in the mail yesterday, it's the most beautiful card I've ever seen! Thank you so much.
Merry Christmas.
The meteor shower was sublime.
Not good about your very almost fall though - or your currently battered and bruised state.
And I don't think River's card CAN be any more beautiful than mine.
Hugs.
I have never known you to use that rude word before. What a shock. One ponders deeply this change in you. Was it something you ate?
River, I enjoyed every mouthful and very bad for me, full of glucose. I had to choose between the berry and the crystalized lemon, that was hard.
EC, it was just so stupid when all I had to do was move the table a little. Now you see why I said snap about your penguin card almost identical.
Robert, they insist I write down every little piece of food I bring in including the sweetener she puts on her porridge and the toffees she has when her throat gets dry and yet they serve up a lunch that my cat would turn up his nose at. And they'd re-arranged both of my favourite cafes at Southland, one's more expensive and the other is trying to fit in more skinny people so I am a crowd when I sit down.
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