The pleasant, wet summer continues here in central Va. as we pass the middle of the summer season. Yesterday marked halfway through the season with a fall-like day that didn't quite reach 80 degrees - and low humidity thrown in added to the comfort. Today remains cool but the humidity is up; it's raining. The entire state (and much of the east) is well ahead of normal rainfall and the trend seems to be continuing. The chance of a shower continues through the end of the week and temps will rise but will still remain below average for August.
Earthquake and volcano activity mark the Ring of Fire; no major quakes and the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka peninsula dominate the volcano list with many of the usual players still rumbling and spitting around the rest of the ring.
The moon is new tonight at 5:51 and the early setting waxing crescent moon will make for good viewing of the Perseid meteors later this week. Venus still shines brightly low in the west to southwest after sunset with much dimmer Saturn sliding toward the brightest planet. The two will have several days of close encounters later in August as Earth pulls away from the ringed world and our inner sister world gradually catches us. The other planets all rise well after midnight and only early risers will get a glimpse of them. The two outermost planets and the now dwarf world of Pluto are well placed for viewing in the short nights of summer but you need a telescope (large for Pluto) and a finder chart.
School starts back up in Louisa a week from tomorrow so it's time to think Earth Science and, heh, where else you going to live? Get out and enjoy your planet, today on Earth.
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