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

Perseids

2014 Perseid Meteor Shower and August Supermoon

Once again, it's that time of year, when the  sons of Perseus streak across the nighttime sky. Generally, this is a great meteor shower to watch, as the Perseids are one of the larger showers that have been observed continuously from 36 A.D. through the present day. This year, however, the annual Perseid Meteor Shower coincides with a supermoon. The supermoon of August 10, 2014, is not just any supermoon - it's the largest supermoon of all of 2014. It also has a number of names, such as the Sturgeon moon; the Green Corn Moon; and the Grain Moon. This supermoon will also be 14% closer and 30% brighter than all of the other full moons of 2014. And, in terms of hard numbers, the August 10 full moon will be 221,675 miles away from the Earth; and while this may seem far, this is actually the closest the moon will be to the Earth until the full moon of September 28, 2015.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the supermoon on August 10, 2014 means that this year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will be hard to see, as its peak days will be August 12-13, 2014, and during those nights, the light of the supermoon will flood the sky. If you are still interested trying to see the Perseids this year, the best time to view is anytime from August 6, 2014 to August 13, 2014 during the pre-dawn hours, after the moon has set, from 2am until dawn.

The other thing that will aid you in catching a glimpse of the Perseids is to get away from unnatural light sources. The best thing you can to do to improve your chances to see the Perseids is to get outside. Cities generate a lot of light pollution, which makes it harder to see everything in the night sky, including the Perseids. Secondly, as the supermoon is bright in 2014, and will not set until the pre-dawn hours, you will need to have lots of patience. Even if you wake up in around 2am, your eyes will need a little bit of time to adjust to the dark; so sit back; relax, and enjoy watching the universe move in inscrutable and beautiful ways. Finally, be sure to have fun! If you're heading out to watch the Perseids - or the supermoon, bring food, drinks, and plenty of blankets and pillows to stay comfortable and warm. 

Interested in science? You might like this NASA app HERE; and about the dust passing through our atmosphere during the shower here. And, if your interested in the Perseids, here's ten facts about the meteor shower.

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Perseid Meteor Shower, August 11-12, 2013

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Good news everyone! It's time to train our eyes upward and see if we can see the sons of Perseus streaking across the nighttime sky. That's right - I am talking about watching the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, which is occurring this weekend - August 11-12, 2013. According to the experts, the Perseid Meteor Shower is going to be one of the best - if not the best - meteor showers of 2013 as there will be no Moon in the nighttime sky this weekend. The Perseids are always a great meteor shower to watch, as they are one of the larger showers that have been observed from 36 A.D. onward, and the origin of the meteors is the Swift-Tuttle comet. Since there will be no Moon during the Perseids this year, many astronomers have estimated that during the peak time - from 10:00 p.m. on August 11, 2013 to 4:30 a.m. on August 12, 2013, skywatchers can expect to see 80-100 meteors scorch the sky per hour. If that isn't enough to get you outside to take a look, I don't know what is! (More information on observing the Perseids here, here, and here; and if you're interested in photographing the Perseids, click here). 

As always, you can rest assured that I will be outside watching the Perseids, 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 Perseids. 2) Be patient. While this might not be as important for a busy shower like the Perseids, it is applicable. 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; and about the dust passing through our atmosphere during the shower here.