Star Gazing Anchorage Cruise 7-8 August

Come sail with us to Back Creek and enjoy Mother Nature's show, the Perseids Meteor Shower.  Our plan is to anchor in the vicinity of Goodwin Islands and Red "10" (37°12.688'N 076°24.810'W). 

Dingy Raft-Up at 5pm. We hopefully will have some live music right before the raft up. (Thank you Jim).  Please be sure to register on BBSA’s website, or by emailing Mary Anne Greblunas at marygreblunas@yahoo.com. Misty Smith & Mary Anne have created a special, out of this world cocktail, to try at Happy Hour. Please register, as we need to know how many are coming. If you are a maybe, please register, as there are other goodies as well. We also will be able to keep you updated, if there are any changes. Please bring your favorite libation, and appetizers to share which will be passed from dinghy to dinghy.  We will also present a short talk about the stars and the Perseids Meteor Shower. See below for a little information about the Perseids Meteor Shower and the New Moon.

About The Perseids Meteor Shower

The Meteor Shower was wonderful last year at this anchorage, plus this year there is a new moon that night (no moon) which makes it better to see the meteors. In a dark sky, you may see up to 60 meteors per hour at the shower's peak. Meteor numbers increase after midnight, but there will be plenty to see before midnight! Be aware that the Perseid meteors will start to fly in mid-to-late evening from northerly latitudes. If fortune smiles upon you, the evening hours might offer you an earthgrazer - a looooong, slow, colorful meteor traveling horizontally across the evening sky. Earthgrazer meteors are rare but memorable. (We saw one last year!) Perseid earthgrazers appear before midnight, when the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.  If you trace all the Perseid meteors backward, they all seem to come from the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Hence, the meteor shower is named in honor of the constellation Perseus the Hero.  In ancient Greek star lore, Perseus is the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Danaë. It is said that the Perseid shower commemorates the time when Zeus visited Danaë, the mother of Perseus, in a shower of gold.

What is a New Moon and does it have a spiritual meaning?

In astronomy, a new moon marks the first lunar phase. The original meaning of the term is the first visible crescent of the moon, which is briefly visible when it's low above the western horizon just after the sun has gone down.

As a new moon represents the start of a new lunar cycle, it symbolises new beginnings. People use the energy of a new moon to achieve their goals or start on a new project. They also reflect on their old goals and set themselves new ones.