Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays: August 12th, 2021. I would like to ask you to take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
Annual Perseid Meteor Shower – Peak Night – peak date varies slightly
There it is in black and white, in all of its fiery glory. Whatever you do, do not blink! If you do, you will miss the Meteor, as it flames across the night sky. It’s absolutely amazing what a little piece of dust can do when is enters the Earth’s atmosphere travelling at 160,000 miles per hour.
Meteors are seen as the Earth passes through the Orbit Trail of a Comet. As the Comet streaks through the heavens, it sheds dust and small debris. When this debris enters the Earth’s Orbit, friction from the upper atmosphere burns up the Meteorite, resulting in a streak of light quickly blazing across the night sky. The brightness and longevity of the light, is a function of the size of the Meteor, how near it is to you (don’t worry, it’s thousands of miles away), and how dark the evening is.
The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brightest, numerous and long lasting of all Meteor Showers. Best of all, Perseid Meteor Shower occurs each year in August, at a time when the viewing Weather is warm, and most days and nights are cloudless. Many people are on Vacation in August, allowing them to stay up all night to enjoy the show. The number of Meteors you see, is dependent upon how dark of a location you watch from, and the number of expected Meteors. This number can vary significantly from just a few to hundred per hour. On a good, moonless night, 60 – 100 Meteors per hour are likely.
Meteorites are also called a “Shooting Star” or “Fallen Star”. Since ancient times, seeing a Shooting Star is a sign of good luck to come.
When and How to Watch for the Perseid Meteors
- Watching the Meteor Shower on the peak night, usually results in the most and brightest displays.
- If the peak evening is cloudy, select a date as near to the peak as possible.
- The best time to view the Perseid Meteor Shower, is between Midnight and Pre-dawn hours.
- Go to the darkest location you can find, away from the City or Town lights, street lights, etc. The darker, the better.
- Once you’ve arrived at the viewing site you selected, look up into the night Sky.
- For comfort, and to avoid neck strain, use a recliner.
- Importantly, don’t forget a coat and a blanket. The early morning hours in August can become chilly.
- Your fun evening under the stars, is best enjoyed with others.
Related Day:
Did you know David bought me a Record Player for Christmas and I’ve been collecting Records just as my parents did when I was a child. If its possible I try and purchase one Record a week which we use in #Homeschool #MusicClass.
Not only that I am turning one wall into my living room into a Music Wall and use Records and Record Covers to decorate that space in the Living Room. Would you like to help me decorate the wall?
With today being National Vinyl Record Day it’s a day to celebrate this classic music format, and remember the terrific music and times of yesterday. Dust off your old Vinyl 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records. Pull your Phonograph, HiFi, Stereo, or Turntable out of the attic or garage. Grab a beer or a glass of wine, and savor the Music and memories from your youth with a few friends. This nostalgic trip down Memory Lane is certain to make you feel great and it will also make you wonder “where did all the years go!?”
Records on a round disc have been around since Emile Berliner invented them in the 1800’s. Those early versions were made a variety of materials, including shellac.
Around 1960, the Vinyl Record was first produced. Known as the Golden Age of Vinyl Records, the 1960’s and 1970’s saw a tremendous cultural revolution occurring at the same time. Rock and Roll music exploded onto the scene, and the music was recorded on Vinyl Records. Like any other technology, it was destined to become outdated.
Cassette tapes, and for a short while Eight Track tapes, provided competition for Vinyl Records in the 1970s and 1980s. Then the Compact Disc (CD) Records hit the music world in 1982, with much improved sound quality.
Like Cassette Tapes, they’re smaller, more compact size and durability allowed Compact Disc to easily fit into Automobile Music Systems and could be carried around with Music Players and Boom Boxes.
In the late1990s, Music Downloads from the Internet were put into I-pods and Cell Phones. Early in the 21st century, Vinyl Records and Phonographs saw a surprisingly popular revival. Never destined to replace the newer and better music technology, the Vinyl Revival Record offered a pleasant nostalgic trip down memory lane.
While Black Vinyl Records have always been the dominant color, over the decades Vinyl Records were made of many colors but the black color proved to provide the superior quality.
Did you know if you have Vinyl Records they could be worth money, big money. Don’t toss those old Vinyl Records, that have been gathering dust in your Basement or Attic out yet and don’t put the Recors in a Garage Sale until you’ve checked their value.
Records could be worth less than $5.00, or they could be worth much, much more. The most expensive Vinyl Record ever sold was not Ringo Starr’s personal copy of the Beatles White Album (Serial #0000001) which sold for $790,000. The highest price ever paid for a vinyl record was Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Only one copy was ever made and it sold for $2 million!! Can you picture that?
Related Holidays:
Did you know today is World Elephant Day? I didn’t or I would have asked David to take off so we could have visited the Zoo. Because the Elephant is my favorite animal. If I could I would like to have a Elephant for a pet but David keeps telling me no. But one day I might have just don’t tell David or Charlie until I figure out how please…
Today is a huge, make that enormous international event. It’s World Elephant Day. According to the creator and sponsors of this Holiday, the goal of this day is to raise awareness of the plight of the shrinking populations of African and Asian elephants.
Elephants have a huge and impressive footprint and they are the largest living Land Animal in the world. Despite their size, Elephants can be tamed to the extent that humans can work with them. Elephants can be taught to do work, including heavy lifting, and we can even catch a ride atop their massive backs. Elephants have also been employed (sadly) in Wars. Elephants are beloved by children and adults alike, and by far are the most popular Animal in Zoos around the World.
Elephants are facing a struggle for survival. Here’s the facts: Just 100 years ago, there was an estimated 5 to 12 million African Elephants. Now, there is only approximately 400,000 African Elephant left. There were about 1,000,000 Asian Elephants 100 years ago. Now, there is just an estimated 20,000 to 40,000. Asian Elephants are on the “Vulnerable Species” list, while their cousins African Elephants are on the “Endangered Species” list. Elephants need our help to survive.
Elephant populations are decreasing in numbers for several reasons. Poaching is perhaps the number one problem. Poachers hunt and kill Elephants solely for their valuable Ivory Tusks, leaving the carcass behind. Poachers illegally hunt Elephants in open ranges, as well as Elephant Sanctuaries. Loss of habitat is a another huge reason for the Elephants declining numbers. As human populations continually increase, more and more Wildlife areas are razed and converted to farms to feed the ever growing need for food. That causes increasing conflict with humans, as Elephants roam into and damage farmlands. Mistreatment of Elephants in captivity is a stress on the steadily decreasing Elephant population.
Elephant Trivia:
- African Bush Elephants are the largest land animal. They can weigh up to 13,000 pounds.
- Elephants typically spend 16 hours a day eating.
- Elephants really do have a good memory.
- Elephants do indeed like Peanuts.
- Over 300 species of Elephants have roamed the Earth for over 55 million years.
- Elephants are afraid of bees. Farmers use BeeHives to keep EElephants from coming onto their land.
- The oldest Elephant lived to be 86 years old.
- Elephants are pregnant for 22 months… Crazy isn’t it?
- Elephants weigh up to 260 pounds at birth.
- A Elephants trunk is also called a Proboscis.
- Pachydermophobia, or Elephaphobia is the fear of Elephants. But who would be afraid of a Elephant there so cute.
- Speaking of an Elephant’s Trunk, it can weigh up to 400 pounds and pick up a grain of Rice.
- Did you know an Elephant’s Trunk has about 100,000 Muscles.
- Elephants can’t jump. They always have at least one foot on the ground at all times.
- Elephants can swim. They use their Trunk as a Snorkel when swimming.
- Ivory from the Tusks of just one Elephant, can be worth over $100,0000, or $2,100 per pound.
Celebrate World Elephant Day by supporting Organizations that strive to protect the remaining Elephants left in the wild.
I have a question for you which of these Elephants is your favorite and why? Dumbo or Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street? Now if you were to ask me as much as I love Dumbo I would pick Mr. Snuffleupagus because he is so cute.
David also said he would chose Mr. Snuffleupagus because he needs a friend. But Charlie said Dumbo because he doesn’t have a mom for a little bit and needed a friend other than a Mouse.
Related Holidays:
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
