Lightning Will Reach Out and Touch You

Those are the words of Mike Utley, a lightning strike survivor. On Sunday, severe storms, swept through Union, NJ and the surrounding area, and unfortunately as reported by myfoxny.com, four men in Newark, NJ were struck and one of those men has died. It was reported that the men were struck a little after 6 pm behind 250 Mount Vernon Place which is an apartment complex. They were trying to seek shelter from the heavy rain and were under a tree when they were struck. At first one man was reported to have suffered critical injuries while the other three suffered non-life threatening burns, but today it has been updated that one man has died as a result from their injuries. The four men were cousins. My condolences to the family of the lightning strike victim.

Thunderstorms are very dangerous and when caught outside in one, options for shelter might not be readily available. One of the worse places for shelter is under a tree. Lightning will reach out and touch you and it will most likely strike the tallest most isolated object. If you ever find yourself outside in a thunderstorm, go inside a building or your car or truck if you can. Make sure the windows are completely shut. If not, avoid water, the high ground and open spaces. Also avoid all metal objects including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power tools, etc.

Unsafe places included:

-Underneath canopies
-Small picnic or rain shelters
-Trees.

If you are outside and lightning is striking nearby, you should:
Crotch down by putting your feet together and placing your hands over ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. If you are with other people, stand apart and avoid proximity (a minimum of 15 ft.) to other people. Lightning travels through the ground.

If outdoor activities are in progress, suspend the activities and find shelter. Wait at least 30 minutes from the last observed flash of lightning or sound of thunder. If someone is injured, call 911 immediately and apply First Aid procedures if possible. Heed thunderstorm watches and warnings and take to heart these safety tips, so you can stay safe in a thunderstorm.

Article here.
Lightning Safely tips here.

Rainy Week Ahead/Texas Drought

The forecast is valid for Union, NJ and the surrounding area

(July 27 to August 2)

Don't forget to bring your umbrella because all this week there looks to be a chance of rain every day this week. For today we can expect a high of 86 with chance showers throughout the day due to a cold front dissipating across the region. The temperature won't drop for Tuesday as we can expect a slight chance for thunderstorms and a high in the upper 80s. For Wednesday into Friday a series of troughs will develop over the region and we can a chance of thunderstorms and highs near 87 on Wednesday and Thursday and a a chance for some scattered thunderstorms on Friday. Expect a high near 86. For the weekend, the slight chance for thunderstorms remains, as deep moisture builds over the region. Expect a high in the mid 80s for Saturday and Sunday.


The rain will definitely be keeping the grass green and nourish those blossoming flowers, which is a great contrast to what is going on towards our south. Texas and other states are in need of rain, in fact parts of Texas are in a drought and Recently I went to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., for a scholarship program at my university, and the grass there looked so dry. Looking at the forecast for DC, it looks like they'll be getting a good chance for rain this week, as they can expect a chance for thunderstorms each day. The same goes for Jasper, Texas, as they can expect a slight chance of rain this week, though it probably won't be enough to get the state out of an extreme drought situation.

For more information on the Texas Drought, check out the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://drought.unl.edu/DM/Monitor.html

New Zealand moving closer to Australia?

I was browsing Yahoo earlier today, when an article about a powerful earthquake in New Zealand caught my eye. The earthquake which occurred last Thursday, measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, actually pushed the South Island of New Zealand closer to Australia. According to the article, the movement is measured to be 30 cm closer to the continent of Australia and that the quake was so powerful that it changed the shape of the South Island of New Zealand. The two land masses are separated by the Tasman Sea which is merely 2250 km wide. This recent earthquake is the strongest New Zealand has had in almost 78 years and the biggest display of force that the world has seen so far this year. The article goes on to state, that scientists eventually believe that the island will settle back into place, though this reverse motion may take up to hundreds of years. This quake was usual because its epicentre. Quakes are known to New Zealand because it lays along the meeting point of the Pacific and Australian continential plates, the recent quake however, struck along the right boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates. The damage of this quake was slight considering the high magnitude of 7.8, as only slight damages to building were reported in the southwest Fiordland region of the South Island.

Check out the Yahoo article here for more information on this earthquake as well as the Australian report of this event found here.

It's Eclipsic

OK so I don't know if eclipsic is a word but what I do know is that I'm referring to the longest duration of a total solar eclipse in the 21st century, which is set to occur tomorrow, in central and northeastern India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, and the Ryukyu Islands. A partial solar eclipse is set to occur in Southeast Asia, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Central Pacific Ocean area and its islands. An eclipse of any sort won't be happening here in America though :-(

It's been almost a year sense the last total solar eclipse which captured in Nunavut, northern Greenland, central Russia, western Mongolia, and western China on August 1, 2008. The most recent solar eclipse was an annular eclipse early this year, on January 26, 2009. That eclipse was seen in southeast Sumatra, Jakarta and Borneo. So what actually is the cause of a solar eclipse? Well a solar eclipse is the result of when a new moon passes between the sun and the Earth. By doing this the sun appears to be totally or partially covered, which is amazing considering the size difference of the two masses. In earlier times when solar eclipses were not as well known, the event could be seen as very ominous and scary. For a few seconds to a few moments, the sun is literately blocked out during a total eclipse and the sky is dark. For 6 minutes and 39 seconds the area in the path of the total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009 will be dark. The next time for a duration near the time of this historic event, won't be until June 13, 2132.

Eclipses are a truly remarkable natural phenomenon and are one of the many displays of nature's beauty and magnificence. Though most of these events, when they do actually occur, are not contiguous across the globe, when they do happen, it is best to view it firsthand. The last time I remember seeing a solar eclipse in America (and I'm 22) is on Christmas Day in 2000. I remember my father purchasing special "Solar eclipse Christmas 2000" glasses, so that our eyes would be shielded from the sun's rays. It was a special time that I got to share with my family that day and even more special because of the rarity of such an event. I'm happy I got to view the eclipse and although it was partial, the next predicted date for a solar eclipse occurring on Christmas Day isn't until 2307!

Fear not, that year is only for a predicted solar eclipse occurring on Christmas Day. Many solar eclipses will happen before that year, with a estimated 224 solar eclipses estimated for 2001 to 2100 AD. Though many will not be visible for the United States, mark this down on your calendar...the next time a solar eclipse will be visible for the US is May 20, 2012. It won't be a total eclipse but an annular eclipse (this is when the new moon is completely aligned with the sun and covers the center of the sun). The next time for a total eclipse won't be until July 11, 2010 and that will be visible southern Chile and Argentina and southeastern Polynesia. I might book a flight to Polynesia to see that one...

40th Anniversary/ Meteor Showers

Today marks the 40th anniversary of when Apollo 11's lunar module carrying Edwin "Buzz" E Aldrin Jr., Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, successfully landed on the moon. Or did they? Numerous reports of hoaxes and myths have followed this historic occurrence, and even one of the most popular phrases in American history, was misquoted. What Armstrong stated in the audio contact made from the moon on that day back in 1969 was "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In interviews, however, Armstrong has stated that he meant to say "a man" instead of just "man." Regardless of the fact, that the crew might have never really landed on the moon, the possibility and the dream of reaching Earth's satellite, has been fulfilled in other NASA missions. NASA has plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary by broadcasting the audio of that historic moment among other activities. Check out http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/events.html for more information.

As much as I have been fascinated with weather, I have enjoyed learning and studying the night sky. Space is still considered an extension of the atmosphere (exosphere), and there are studies on the weather occurring in space, cleverly called "space weather." In fact, lighting is the only atmospheric phenomenon that can be seen from outer space and are known as blue jets. The term space weather refers to solar flares, meteor showers and the solar wind to name a few. One of my favorite past times is to watch meteor showers. Meteor showers are caused when the Earth comes in contact with debris from an object such as a comet. As this debris falls it breaks up in the Earth's atmosphere becoming dust, small pebbles and sand and never really hit the Earth's surface. Rarely during a meteor shower, there will be a large meteor that falls to the ground potentially causing harm, over the area in which the meteor shower is set to occur.

I like watching the showers with my father. The best times to watch them are after midnight and just before dawn. Each shower is different however and it is best to check the farmers handbook or a astronomy website for the best time to watch the meteor shower and when a specific one will occur. Check also to see if the meteor shower is viewable in your specific hemisphere. A good website for this information is 2009 Meteors Showers found at this link. There they give the name of the showers, the date of the occurrence, and the frequency of the meteors predicted an hour. The frequency of the meteors an hour makes for a good show. The occurrence of a clear sky and not much light around the viewing area, make for a good show as well.

According to the website the next meteor shower will be the Delta Aquarids which will be occurring from July 28 to the 29th. The frequency of the meteors will be relatively slow, assuming that 20 meteors are predicted to be observed during the night. The next shower in July is the Capricornids which will be occurring the 29th through the 30th. The rate of meteors falling for this occurrence looks to be slow as well with only 15 meteors descending per hour. The Capricornids, according to the site, are known to produce fireballs. The next meteor shower that I would recommend viewing for first time viewers or just anybody who wants to see a meteor show is the Perseids in August. The Perseids will be occurring from the 12th to the 13th with a frequency of 60 meteors per hour. If you were wondering about how these meteor showers get their names, it is because of the constellation that the meteors usually fall in. Normally the meteors will streak across the sky, with their tails pointing back towards the constellation. For more information on meteor showers check out: http://www.earthsky.org/article/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide.

Enjoy this historic day and keep an eye on that sky!

Area Forecast (July 20 to July 26)

This forecast is valid for Union, NJ

I'm back at Kean University, for my summer research, that's why the forecast will be for Union, NJ and the surrounding area. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend of sunshine and pleasant weather conditions because this week looks to be very rainy. For today we can expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 80. For tonight, that high pressure which has been over us, giving us this dry weather, will be moving off shore as there is a possibility for showers before midnight. With that high pressure moving offshore, a warm front from the south will move in, though we won't be feeling the effects of the warm front until Wednesday. A deep upper level low will move in along the East coast for Tuesday as we can expect showers throughout the day. The temperature will be slightly cooler with a high near 73. For Tuesday night, expect a possible thunderstorm before midnight with heavy rain, patches of fog and a low near 64. Another wave of low pressure will move into the region for Wednesday as it looks to bring another chance for rain after 3 pm, and the temperature will rebound. Expect a high near 85 and mostly cloudy skies. For the rest of the week, expect more unsettled weather, with a chance of showers possible and a high temperature in the mid 80s for each day.

source: NOAA

Are Forecast (July 11- July 17)

This forecast is valid for Moorestown, NJ

Fire up those BBQs because today looks like it's going to be a very pleasant day. Expect a high around 83 with mostly sunny skies. Make sure to pack everything up tonight as a cold front will be sweeping through the region, and there is a possible of some storms mainly before 3 am Sunday morning. For Sunday expect mosly sunny skies and a high near 82 as high pressure will build over our area into Monday. For Monday we can expect a high near 85 and mostly sunny skies. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms Monday night as a weak cold front moves through the region. Expect sunny skies and a high near 84 on Tuesday, and another chance for showers on Wednesday as low pressure from our west moves into the area. Expect a high for Wednesday expect around 86. Thursday that low will move in and showers are expected throughout the day. Expect a high close to 90. The low will move out by Friday, as it looks to be dry with partly sunny skies with a high near 83. Enjoy the week!