December Night Sky

One of the fun things about winter is the night sky.  Cold, clear, winter skies are characterized by a lack of humidity and if you live in the country there is very little urban light pollution creating some spectacular opportunities for star-gazing. 

December brings a couple of meteor showers to the night skies.  The more prolific of the two is the Geminids with as many as 120 shooting stars per hour.  Shooting stars are most often associated with the Earth’s passage thru the debris field of a comet.  Gritty debris burns-up as it collides with the upper atmosphere.  The Geminids are a bit of a mystery as they are related with an extinct comet which also happens to be a near-earth asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. 

The Geminid meteor shower began December 4th and will remain active thru the 17th.  It will be producing meteors at its peak rate this Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Each meteor shower is named after its radiant - that point where the shower appears to come from.  In this case the constellation Gemini - The Twins.  A meteor shower's radiant needs to be above the horizon before any of the action begins.  And you don't have to look directly at the radiant to see meteors;  shooting stars will be visible across the sky once the radiant has risen.  

Find the easily recognizable belt of the three bright stars in Orion the Hunter.  From Orion's belt (or from Rigel, his foot, through the belt), follow an imaginary line towards the northeast (up and left).  Continue this line until you see two bright stars close together - Castor and Pollux - the heads of Gemini.

For the duration there will be a chance of seeing Geminid meteors whenever the shower’s radiant point – found in the constellation Gemini – is above the horizon. The number of visible shooting stars increases as the radiant point rises to its highest point in the night sky.   

December also brings the Ursid meteor shower with 5  to 10 shooting stars per hour as the Earth passes thru the debris field of Comet 8P/Tuttle.   

Although not as spectacular as the Geminids peak action coincides with the solstice the evening of the 21^st and 22^nd.  This year the new moon occurs a few days before the Ursids peak, so you'll enjoy dark skies.  Best time is before dawn with 10-15 meteors per hour.  

Mark your calendar and if your catch a cold, clear, winter sky bundle-up and take some time to sit outside and observe the heavens. 

There’s no mosquitoes this time of year! 

Canadian Fly-In

From a brittle 6F morning yesterday there was this.

In a light dusting of snow on the porch I found these miniature dinosaur tracks.

These belong to one of Wisconsin's most common winter residents.  Yes, they come here for the winter weather.  

Junco hyemalis - the Dark-eyed Junco.  You're unlikely to confuse this species with another bird as this member of the sparrow family sports a slate-colored head and back, white belly and pink beak.  Quite distinctive.

These little birds migrate from Canada to winter here in the south.  We tend to observe larger numbers of males as I am told that females do not travel as far south as the boys do.   

They'll readily come to a feeder and it is not unusual to see a flock of them scratching-about on the ground.

They're commonly called Snowbirds.

Tough little bird the Junco is.....

Real or Fake?

At any given moment, there are approximately half a billion Christmas trees growing for future harvest that otherwise would not be there.

While they are growing, they’re absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, stabilizing soil and providing valuable wildlife habitat.

As trees are harvested, new trees are planted to take their place.

And unlike artificial trees, real trees can often be purchased from local farms.

And your house will smell nice too.

Raising a toast to sustainability.
 

Friday Music

John Prine passed away on April 7, 2020 due to complications from COVID. The outpouring of grief and love from his fan community was staggering. Over 500,000 viewers participated in an online memorial and tribute that raised more than half a million dollars for COVID-related community causes. In 2021, the Prine family created the Hello In There Foundation to honor John’s spirit of generosity towards those in need. Fiona Prine and her sons continue to operate and expand the reach of John’s independent record label, Oh Boy Records.

The work of the foundation will be inspired and guided by John's simple song title, Hello In There.  Their mission aims to identify and collaborate with individuals and communities to offer support for people who are marginalized, discriminated against or, for any reason, are otherwise forgotten.  

A beautiful tribute to John that premiered October 3, 2020 on, "Let The Music Play On": A Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Broadcast, featuring many of his friends. John's full sets from 2014 and 2017 are available to watch here.

Bruiser

I wonder where this guy was during the gun hunt?

 

Or if one of the neighbors has him at the taxidermy?

 

 

Or maybe he lives?

 

BTW - the stand shown in this photo is the one I hunted from. 

 

 

Probably a good reason to get out and sit with a bow.

 

Southern Door County grows some dandy bucks….

Highway Patrol

The police car in the image is a

1961 Plymouth Savoy used by the Chicago Police Department.   Additional trimlines that year included the Belvedere and Fury.

While we don't know what's lurking under the hood Plymouth models were available with a 225 Slant-Six and V8 options like the 318, 361, or 383 cubic inch engines.  These cars typically came with a 3-speed manual or a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, often with push-button controls for the automatic in Plymouths of that era.

Police versions featured a reinforced suspension, heavy-duty brakes (drum brakes were standard), and upgraded cooling systems to handle the demands of patrol work.  Police cruisers had basic interiors with vinyl upholstery and rubber floor mats for easy cleaning.  

This vehicle sports a single dome light and possibly an under-hood siren, like the Federal P-280 pulsator siren used by the Chicago Police Department around that time.

Fun Fact:  Car 54, Where Are You?, the classic American sitcom that aired from 1961 to 1963, featuring the misadventures of two mismatched New York City police officers, Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon. 

The iconic patrol car in the show, Car 54, was primarily a 1961 Plymouth Fury 4-door sedan, though other Plymouth models like the Belvedere and even a 1962 or 1963 Plymouth Savoy were also used during the series' run.

 

One of my all-time favorite childhood shows..... 

 

Interdiction - Part 2

Recently a very reasonable question came-up in a discussion within a private Face Book group.

Does the Coast Guard have the authority to fire on a vessel suspected of running drugs or engaged in some other suspected illegal activity?

The short answer is yes.  Unremarkably, the rules of engagement are similar to those of any law enforcement organization.

The US Coast Guard may fire disabling shots at a suspected drug smuggling vessel as long as specific legal rules and operational conditions are met. 

Under the Coast Guard Use of Force Policy found in the Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Manual (MLEM) paraphrased as follows:

1.  Legal authority (jurisdiction).  This requires probable cause or reasonable suspicion of drug smuggling.  Including, does the USCG have the legal authority to stop the vessel - is it in US waters, is it a US vessel, or has a foreign nation given permission?

2.  Issuance of warnings. This requires the use of visual and verbal signals.  The use of lights, sirens, radio calls, and hand signals. And frequently warning shots first; typically with an M240 or .50-caliber across the bow.

3. When the suspect vessel refuses to stop.  If the crew ignores repeated commands to stop - called a “non-compliant vessel” - disabling fire is permitted as the next step before any higher level of force.

4.  Only to disable the vessel, not harm the crew.  These are called “Disabling Fire” or “Engine Disabling Rounds.”  Shots are directed at the engines, not people.  Only trained Precision Marksmen/Surface (PMS) or helicopter gunners can do this.  These shots must be reasonably expected to stop the vessel safely.

5.  When the Coast Guard cannot fire.  They may not fire simply because the boat is suspected of drug running.  If it would create an unreasonable risk to innocent people.  Without proper maritime law enforcement authority.  Without exhausting lesser means (warnings, maneuvering, etc.)

6.  Helicopter Armed Interdiction.  The MH-65 “Hitron” helicopters are utilized for this.  Using a self-stabilizing weapon they fire warning shots.  Then fire precision .50-caliber disabling rounds into outboard motors.  This is a standard technique against go-fast boats.

7.  Deadly force.  Deadly force (shooting at people) is allowed only when the suspected crew poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.  It is unlawful if solely because of drug smuggling or fleeing.

Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard has accelerated operations against cartels across the Eastern Pacific.   

During this surge, the crew of USCG Cutter Munro only last week delivered a massive win: 20,000+ pounds of cocaine seized in a single interdiction, the largest Coast Guard drug bust at sea in more than 18 years. 

USCG crews are bringing every capability to the fight, protecting the Homeland, and combating the flow of deadly drugs long before they can impact American communities.