You have to stay up late to see a meteor shower, but sometimes the loss of sleep is worth the effort. High above you occasional flashes of burning grains brighten your upturned face.
Every so often, a bigger grain burns up, and sometimes a fireball briefly makes your surroundings as bright as a lighted stadium during a nighttime game. Ah! Celestial phenomena! Sparks and streaks of light high above you. Appearances without substance, at least without substance you can touch. Save the one that is big enough to survive the burning and land. Mass determines whether or not the appearance becomes earthbound and touchable. Mass determines whether or not the appearance knocks down standing objects and digs a hole, in some way changing what it strikes.
In the daytime, when we can’t see the flashes of light that still pass through the atmosphere, we occupy ourselves with other appearances. Most are just tiny flashes that we encounter at work or play: Small events that don’t warrant much attention in the bright glare of everyday concerns. But sometimes more massive phenomena catch our attention, and these are the things that seem very tangible. These are the appearances that affect our emotions. They are capable of changing the surface of who we are; they become, in some instances, usbound.
Day or night you are always in a shower of appearances. Most of them are meaningless flashes, occurring as an entertaining light show. Then there is that every-once-in-a-while phenomenon that alters you, the appearance that makes it to your very being. Something like a personal tragedy or perceived wrong. The appearance becomes tangible; it is more than a show, more than passing entertainment.
Here’s something to know about meteor showers. Most are regular phenomena: The Perseid Meteor Shower, the Draconids, and others that are generally harmless. The appearance of their appearance is calendar-like: On August 10 and 11 each year the Perseids will show up. Just go out to see them. But the big fireballs are always a surprise, especially the ones large enough to hit the surface.
Whoa! Does that mean you can’t prepare for phenomena with more mass? Yes, somewhat. But it doesn’t hurt to stay on the lookout for “appearances” that have the mass to change your life. Just like Earth, you’re going to get hit sometime. You might not be able to do much to prevent an eventual collision with an unexpected bolide, but by paying attention, you’ll get a little forewarning and possibly some options.
Every so often, a bigger grain burns up, and sometimes a fireball briefly makes your surroundings as bright as a lighted stadium during a nighttime game. Ah! Celestial phenomena! Sparks and streaks of light high above you. Appearances without substance, at least without substance you can touch. Save the one that is big enough to survive the burning and land. Mass determines whether or not the appearance becomes earthbound and touchable. Mass determines whether or not the appearance knocks down standing objects and digs a hole, in some way changing what it strikes.
In the daytime, when we can’t see the flashes of light that still pass through the atmosphere, we occupy ourselves with other appearances. Most are just tiny flashes that we encounter at work or play: Small events that don’t warrant much attention in the bright glare of everyday concerns. But sometimes more massive phenomena catch our attention, and these are the things that seem very tangible. These are the appearances that affect our emotions. They are capable of changing the surface of who we are; they become, in some instances, usbound.
Day or night you are always in a shower of appearances. Most of them are meaningless flashes, occurring as an entertaining light show. Then there is that every-once-in-a-while phenomenon that alters you, the appearance that makes it to your very being. Something like a personal tragedy or perceived wrong. The appearance becomes tangible; it is more than a show, more than passing entertainment.
Here’s something to know about meteor showers. Most are regular phenomena: The Perseid Meteor Shower, the Draconids, and others that are generally harmless. The appearance of their appearance is calendar-like: On August 10 and 11 each year the Perseids will show up. Just go out to see them. But the big fireballs are always a surprise, especially the ones large enough to hit the surface.
Whoa! Does that mean you can’t prepare for phenomena with more mass? Yes, somewhat. But it doesn’t hurt to stay on the lookout for “appearances” that have the mass to change your life. Just like Earth, you’re going to get hit sometime. You might not be able to do much to prevent an eventual collision with an unexpected bolide, but by paying attention, you’ll get a little forewarning and possibly some options.
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