I woke my son up this morning and we went outside and looked at these. We didn't stay outside very long (maybe 5 minutes). But walking him back inside he stopped and said "thanks for waking me up to see this. I really liked it". Then we both went back to sleep.
It may seem trivial but these are great moments to share with your kids/spouse/SO—there is so much in our lives that we can't see or touch nowadays and it is really meaningful to be able to point up in the sky (even without binocs/assistance) and "see" these planets we talk about but only usually see in pictures.
I agree. I woke my daughter up to see NEOWISE when she was six. We climbed a small hill at 2 am to try get a glimpse of it. It was very close to the horizon so we had trees in the way.
We took the car up to a higher point but it got too cloudy so we went back home to sleep.
Even though we never saw the comet she still remembers that time as something exciting and joyful and she often brings it up when we talk about space.
I took my motorcycle and went on a night trip to a 2000+ meter high mountain to watch Hyakutake passing by in 1996; the show was nothing short of spectacular: no other lights, no sounds, nothing else than its wonderful glowing shape.
Also watched Hale-Bopp years later, but at that time I couldn't move from the city lights pollution and missed like 90% of the show.
I have a comet chasing memory with my father. We never saw it, drove around two different nights, and had a great time. Won’t forget being up at 3 or 4 am in a little agricultural town pulling over every few minutes to take a look.
When I was maybe 8 or 9 my parents woke me up to watch a huge meteor shower. We sat in the street in camping chairs for the best view of the sky and it was magical. I remember it strongly to this day.
My parents are not scientists, and my mother is probably even science skeptical, but two of my strongest, earliest memories were going to the beach to watch a meteor shower. It was magical - I give no qualifications.
I am thankful for this experience often, especially when I see these sorts of discussions. Way to be.
You can think the earth is flat and still enjoy a meteor shower. They're so beautiful, and obviously speak deeply to us as primates or something, because we have so much imagery involving meteors.
Plus you never know your potential whereabouts in eighteen years from now, so it's always good to leave behind little seeds of wonder, as small as mustard seeds in the sky before dawn.
My kids (now 15 and 11) still talk about the time we laid out back in the yard and watched the meteor showers in the middle of the night. It’s a top memory for all of us :)
My daughter and I stayed out on the trampoline one night and played a game to see who could see the first star. She won—and spotted Regulus. It was another one of those beautiful moments. Probably the stillest she's ever been for 15+ minutes...
Just want to extend that encouragement to anyone with a friend or two in close proximity, speaking as a single, no kiddos.
You'd be surprised how many people you run into who have never seen the milky way with their naked eyes (or have completely forgotten that you see the same exact thing as in astronomy photos that you'd swear are definitely-probably digitally altered).
Living in a city buried in light pollution, it's always a treat to see the same facial expressions of amazement and wonder out of adults as you'd get from kids when I bring whatever nearby friends and a couple beers for a late night meteor gazing session during the Perseids, just an hour's drive out of town.
Of course, despite living where light pollution maps mark as a red/white zone (Sacramento, CA), we are fortunate enough to live so close to a blue zone (halfway between town and Lake Tahoe).
For best viewing, one wants to plan for clear skies and time of night during moonset and/or near the new moon. As for Perseids, unfortunately the last few seasons have been a bust for me due to California's record-breaking wildfire seasons completely drowning out the sky.
As a parent, I don't always make the right choices. I can beat myself up, but sometimes you just need to point them to something amazing and just let them experience the wonder of it all. It definitely feels like a "reset" to the relationship... even if only for a day.
They don't come with user manuals nor do we. No one hands you a rule book. Don't beat yourself up. Strive to do better. Don't be proud. Be open to learning. The single biggest example you can set your kids is to show them that change is possible and we can all do better.
Frankly even just occasionally deviating from the monotonous schedule and escorting your kids outside at an unusual hour while the world sleeps will always be a worthwhile experience.
I did the same with my son as well. He got a 76mm Funscope last month, but it has been pretty cloudy. We saw the red band across Jupiter and Saturn's ring. Images were a bit small/blurry, but it was still amazing. I just tucked him tonight for bed, and he said "Thank you for taking me outside to stargaze this morning". He is excited to look for M31/Andromeda next.
I woke my son up this morning and we went outside and looked at these. We didn't stay outside very long (maybe 5 minutes). But walking him back inside he stopped and said "thanks for waking me up to see this. I really liked it". Then we both went back to sleep.
It may seem trivial but these are great moments to share with your kids/spouse/SO—there is so much in our lives that we can't see or touch nowadays and it is really meaningful to be able to point up in the sky (even without binocs/assistance) and "see" these planets we talk about but only usually see in pictures.
It can be a real spiritual experience.