8/23/10 — “Make a wish when you see a shooting star,” one popular saying says. Does that same phrase apply to meteor showers such as the yearly Perseids when meteors rain down from the sky at a rate of one per minute? Many groups went out to secluded spots such as the mountains to watch the Perseids, which usually occur from August 9-14. The North Hollywood Science Bowl and Olympiad teams, also known as Bowly, were one of them.
After arriving at the Mt. Piños campsite on Aug. 12, the Bowly team pitched tents and lit campfires, with more members trickling in until about 31 members gathered at the campsite. They had lunch and dinner before their teacher, Altair Maine, set up a telescope and everyone gathered their chairs around it. As the sun’s dying glow disappeared, the stars peeked out, and the Milky Way showed itself in the sky. After some “oohs” and “ahhs,” Mr. Maine began a short astronomy lesson, pointing out various stars and constellations such as Cygnus, the Summer Triangle, and Hercules while searching out planets and galaxies through his telescope.
A meteor streaked across the sky about one to two hours later, much to the amazement of the students. Many muttered wishes and the excitement for the next one was almost tangible.
For the next few hours, more meteors flew by, giving the students a night to remember.
“Everyone thought they were really cool and I was really awed,” Rain Tsong, a junior at North Hollywood High School and member of the Science Olympiad and Bowl, said. “It kind of reminds you how small you are in this world. Also, they’re really beautiful.”
The next morning, there was a rush as students started packing up tents and gathering up their gear. By 4:30 PM, only seven students and Mr. Maine remained at the campsite. After a barbeque dinner, though tired, most students stargazed until midnight or later. In the morning, the students awoke to discover that the telescope was still focused on Jupiter, so each had a last look at the gas giant before leaving the camp grounds.
Would they go back again?
“Of course, I would go back again,” Tsong declared.
