Musings
Last Adventurer
#preservethegood

As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” 

#preservethegood
Hiking, State Parks
Last Adventurer
Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.

Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls

Geminids

2014 Geminid Meteor Shower

From the blood moon, to a partial solar eclipse, there have been a number of great things to see in the sky during 2014. The one disappointing thing about 2014 in terms of astronomy is that all of the annual meteor showers have so far been somewhat disappointing. However, that may be about to change. Even though the annual Geminid Meteor shower has already began as of December 4, 2014, it will peak from December 12-14, 2014, before ending on December 17, 2014.

Geminid Meteor Shower, December 12-15, 2013

Good news everyone! It's time to train our eyes upward and see if we can see the annual Geminid Meteor Shower streaking across the nighttime sky. The Geminids are caused by the asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which is a rock comet. The meteors that burn up in Earth's atmosphere are parts of 3200 Phaethon that have broken off due to thermal fracturing. This makes the Geminids one of two major meteor showers to not originate from a comet (the second major meteor shower to not originate from a comet are the Quadrantids). Although the Geminids are generally considered one of the best yearly meteor showers, this year the shower will be slightly obscured by the moon.

According to the experts, the best time to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower will be after midnight on December 13, 2013, and December 14, 2013. While the waxing moon will illuminate the night sky, many of the Geminids are so bright that the moonlight cannot and will not obscure their fiery trails. If you are concerned about not seeing any of the Geminids because of the waxing moon, there will also be a period of darkness between moonset and dawn during which the shower will likely be particularly visible, but bear in mind that this period of time will be between 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., depending on your location! While the early morning hours of December 13 and 14th, 2013 will be the best times to view the shower, it's worth noting that the shower has already begun, as evidenced by the large Geminid that streaked over Tucson last night! In this respect, from this point on, there is a chance to see the Geminids anytime after 10 p.m. on the nights of December 12, 13, 14, and probably even on December 15. (More information on observing the Geminids here, here, and here.)

As always, you can rest assured that I will be outside watching the Geminids, because I love meteor showers. If you're interested in seeing a meteor shower for the first time, let me provide you with three handy tips: 1) Get outside. Cities provide a lot of light pollution, which makes it harder to see everything in the night sky, including the Geminids. 2) Be patient. Allow your eyes time to adjust to the dark; sit back; relax, and enjoy watching the universe move in inscrutable and beautiful ways. 3) Have fun! Bring food, drinks, and plenty of blankets and pillows to stay comfortable and warm. 

Interested in science? You might like this NASA app HERE.

2012 Geminid Meteor Shower, December 13-15th 2012

As I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the moon, you know that something is going on in the sky. This week, it’s the Geminid Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and visible this year - perhaps even more so than its predecessors, the Leonid and then Orionid Showers. In fact, according to all of my internet sources – the Geminid Meteor Shower may indeed be the best meteor shower of all of 2012! (Information here, here, here, and here).

The Geminid Meteor Shower will be peaking on the night of December 13, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 14, 2012. According to Earthsky.org, and various other sources, the best time to view the Geminids is from midnight to two (2) a.m., irrespective of where you are located. For a list of tips on how to view the Geminids, check out Earthsky’s page HERE. And, if you don’t feel like staying up late – or waking up early on Thursday night, the good news is that the shower will linger into the evening of Friday, December 14, 2012, and the early morning hours of December 15, 2012.

It’s worth noting that the shower should be particularly visible this year, as it coincides with a new moon, which will set well before the shower is at its peak time, so if you have clear skies and if you’re away from any sources of light pollution (city lights), you should be able to see quite a few meteors. As a general rule, the Geminid Shower is always my favorite meteor shower of the year, and since the world is ending just a week later, it is your last chance to view a meteor shower before whatever the Mayans did or did not predict happens! And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out this app here to record what meteors you can. Also, if you’re a hard science believer like me, here’s a solid list of reasons why 2012 isn’t real, and why I’ll be here blogging well after the world purportedly ends next week – but until then – keep your eye on the sky!

2011 Geminid Meteor Shower, December 13-15th

Astronomers, sky-watchers, and x-files fans, rejoice! The year is ending with a lot of celestial activity! As you know, last weekend was the total lunar eclipse, and this week we will have the annual Geminid Meteor shower from December 13-15th. From what I'm reading, December 13 and the 14th will be the peak viewing days. This is one of the best meteor showers yearly, and despite the bright moon, should still be pretty amazing. You can be sure that despite it being a worknight, I will be out to see what I can see. As always for stargazing or celestial object watching, the farther away you can get from city lights, or any light pollution, the better. After that, just look around, and you should see something! 

Ten Tips for Watching it Here: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/ten-tips-for-watching-the-geminid-meteor-shower

A super neat app for smartphone users watching here (I'm definitely going to try it out): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/meteor-counter/id466896415

And...even more information here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/13dec_geminids/, http://shadowandsubstance.com/, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/geminid-meteor-shower-to-peak-on-tuesday.html

Keep an eye on the sky!