NOTE: Portions of this have been updated (April 2020) to include our move to AZ and us joining the East Valley Astronomy Club.
This is a special edition of In Galileo’s Shadow. Not only does it cover the Lyra Constellation and the Lyrid Meteor Shower, but a special event in my life that I will always cherish . . . my second date with Jessica (my future wife).
It was 17 years ago as of 2020) that I met a young nurse living in Lansing, MI. I was working as an Electrical Engineer at Chrysler Corporation (now Chrysler-Fiat) at the time. We had met online, and we went to dinner at TGIFriday’s. I thought she was very nice and we had a great time talking about life, family, plans among many other things.
When I got back to my 900 square foot house in Westland, MI later that night, I penned an e-mail to her telling her that I had a great time and wanted to see her again. But that weekend, I began to feel concerned that I was getting my hopes up (like I had many times before) and told her I “had to do things”. But as the weekend wore on, I felt this very “off” feeling that began to grow. It felt like “I should go out with her again THAT VERY WEEKEND”. I denied it at first but it kept growing, almost like I was being driven and guided by some great force. Maybe it’s the Great Imm Leader that some tiny little friends (see this blog’s makeshift sci-fi fictional epic called The Earthnauts) told me about (but that’s another story!).
Finally, I said “Ok! You win!” I contacted Jessica again and we arranged to go out on a second date. As I drove 80 miles from Westland to Lansing, I began to get a strong feeling that this was no ordinary date and that things were about to change. I had seen her just a few days before, but when I saw her come to the door, I felt a voice in me say “It’s Her!!!”
That day proved it. We played mini-golf, went to lunch, saw Anger Management (with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler), ate dinner, and went for a walk when the sun went down. As we did, I suddenly found myself reaching for her hand for the first time.
As I held her hand and she reciprocated, I looked toward the Northeast and saw a tremendous shooting star 💫 shoot from NE to SW!!! This is the honest truth! I took that as one more sign that this was meant to be.
We got married 5 1/2 months later (10-04-2003) and settled into our 1st (of 4) houses in Westland, MI (UPDATE: 04-21-2020 – We moved to Gilbert, AZ in December 2018 🏜🌵👍).
Eventually, we had two daughters and a son. They make special appearances in The Earthnauts story, and yes Jessica has her own chapter too! 👽🛸✨
Married life since then has had it’s typical ups and downs, but looking back at all of it, I see the justice and joy of it all.
But how does this relate to Astronomy? I began to wonder if the shooting star I saw was part of a periodic meteor shower that occurred annually like many others when Earth passes through the path of various meteorites as it circles the sun. Turns out it is!
The Lyrid Shower occurs in the last 9 days of April. It’s named Lyrid after the small constellation Lyra with The shooting star I saw came from the Northeast where the Constellation Lyra is for the first 3 hours of evening in the Northern Hemisphere during April.
Lyra is a small but very visible constellation that contains the 5th brightest star in the night sky, Vega. Vega is 36 times brighter than our sun and has 2.3 times the mass our own Sun (or Sol, it’s scientific name). The constellation Lyra is based on the lyre of Orpheus, the Greek mythology underworld traveler.
Between April 16 – 25 of each year, the meteor shower in the Constellation Lyra (or “Harp”) is visible. The source of the meteor shower is particles of dust shed by the long-period Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The April Lyrids are the one of the strongest annual shower of meteors. The Lyrids have been seen and reported since 687 BC, and no other modern shower has been recorded as far back in time. From year to year, the shower’s intensity can vary from several an hour to over 700 (which would average 1 every 5 seconds).
If you’re in a fairly cloudless area at this time of year, you should be able to spot the shower and enjoy the view. I’m just glad it was cloudless over Lansing the night of April 27, 2003. It was one of those magical times you just don’t get to experience often, and I’m glad that the stars themselves were part of a very special night. They didn’t make audible music, but their glow was a form of visible “music” and that one Lyrid was the “key note” that helped drive it home that I was done searching for the right woman to share my life with forever.
I love you Jessica Rae Faltinowski!
For the Great Galactic Space Gimmick, I’m Gimmick Commander Ben Faltinowski! ❤️
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