Shooting Stars
Myths, Meteors, Meteoroids, and More.
What are shooting stars?
How are shooting stars formed?
Sizes of a meteor vs shooting star
When is the best time to see a shooting star?
Where to see a shooting star?
Why do we wish on a shooting star?
Since shooting stars are linked to beauty, rarity, and humanity's eternal fascination with the heavens, shooting stars have been associated since ancient times with divine powers. Even today, some people associate shooting stars with angels, so wishing on a star may be an offering or a prayer. Because shooting stars are so rare to see due to modern day pollution, the "stars" will come and go very quickly. This creates a challenge to wish because they disappear almost as soon as one can see them. Therefore, it is difficult to wish on the shooting star and this makes wishing on one to make sure the wish comes true.
Myths
- Greeks believed that if you find a shooting star, it would bring you a years worth of good luck and one wish, which is where the myth of wishing on a shooting star started.
- Native Americans used to wear them as amulets to symbolize power.
In the Teutonic mythology of central Europe, it was believed that every person was represented by a star which was attached to the ceiling of the sky by the threads of fate. When Fate ended your story on earth, she would snip the thread attaching your star and it would fall, presaging your death.
In the Philippines, one must tie a knot in a kerchief before the meteor passes.
In Chile, one must pick up a stone when seeing a meteor.
In Switzerland, a meteor possess the power of God.
Reality
Fun facts about shooting stars
2. Best to see after midnight
3. Can’t see them with all the pollution in cities
4. A large group of shootings stars that fall at one time are called a meteor shower
5. Shooting stars travel at an extremely fast rate
Citation
http://sacredmistsblog.com/catch-a-falling-star-and-put-it-in-your-pocket-literally-the-myths-magick-of-shooting-stars-the-perseid-meteor-shower
http://techland.time.com/2011/03/02/nasa-tracks-shooting-stars-to-give-you-more-chances-at-wishes/
http://www.almanac.com/content/meteor-showers-guide
http://www.astronomytoday.com/astronomy/meteors.html