Have you heard the phrase “Once upon a shooting star?” Well, June 30 is Meteor Watch Day!  A meteor is another word for a shooting star.  It is a streak of light from a glowing meteoroid falling through Earth’s atmosphere.  They are space particles that burn up and give off a flash of light.  These particles are very small, and most are only the size of a pebble.  We may think shooting stars are rare because we can only see them a fraction of the time (when it is dark outside), but in actuality over 20 million meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere each day weighing a total of 10-20 tons.  Very few actually make it all the way to Earth’s surface.  If a meteor does make it all the way to the surface, it is then called a meteorite.

 

Meteor Watch Day: Shooting Stars

 

Legend has it that if you wish upon a shooting star, that wish will come true.  The legend is believed to have started in Greece long ago.  The Greek astronomer Ptolemy believed that the Gods occasionally peer down at Earth and create a gap in the atmosphere as they look allowing the stars to slip through.  It was thought that because the Gods were already looking down at us from above when we made the wish, it was more likely to come true.  How neat!

Read these Simple Ways to Clean a Telescope.

 

Meteor Watch Day

 

How to Celebrate Meteor Watch Day

Meteor Watch Day is an especially fun day to celebrate.  Grab a blanket and perhaps a picnic, find a good spot to watch, lay down and gaze up into the night sky.  Patience is essential because shooting stars are only occasionally visible.  But who is in a hurry?  Enjoy the relaxing summer evening.  There are many stars to gaze at, and I’m sure you’ll see a few airplanes that you might be able to convince the kids are shooting stars.  If you have a telescope, Meteor Watch Day is the ideal night to use it!

Looking for an incredibly romantic date idea?  What a way to mix things up!  Use this day to celebrate the unique holiday and earn extra brownie points with your sweetie or the person you are trying to impress.  I’ll bet you it will hit the jackpot!  Pack a romantic picnic and include a bottle of wine.

Read National Aviation Day. Don’t Just Clean—Fly Away!.

 

Did a Meteorite Hit Your House?

Does your house look like a meteorite hit?  Are there clothes and clutter everywhere?  Is your house only clean once upon a shooting star?  Why not use Meteor Watch Day as an excuse for some much needed house cleaning?  Get up early and finish the house cleaning early so that you can still look for shooting stars that evening.  If you really want to celebrate Meteor Watch Day and you wished for a clean house upon that shooting star, hire a professional house cleaning service to come in and clean up the natural disaster otherwise known as your home!  Wish Granted!

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