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If you’re one of the many people who got into stargazing and backyard astronomy during the pandemic, you’ve probably noticed that not much has happened in the night sky lately. All the usual suspects – the stars, the planets, the moon – are content with just hanging around in space, and it’s been a while since we’ve had a good old-fashioned meteor shower.

That’s not to say that no meteors shot through the summer sky: as our own Sam Blum has previously covered, the Perseid meteor shower began earlier this month but will not peak until August 11-13. But on the night of July 28th – that is tomorrow – two different meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capracornids, will peak at the same time. Here’s how, where, and when to look it up and see the show.

This is how you see the meteor showers of the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capracornids

The Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capracornids each have their own strengths, so they say American Meteor Society (AMMS). On the one hand, the Mermen of the Southern Delta produce more meteors during their shower, but they are usually weak and lack both sustained draws and fireballs. The Alpha Capracornids, on the other hand, rarely produce more than five meteors per hour, but those that do appear tend to be bright balls of fire.

On the night of July 28th, the moon is 74% full, which is not ideal for observing meteor showers, but it does not make it impossible either. Although the southern delta Aquarius is best seen in the southern tropics, they can be seen anywhere in the northern hemisphere where “the radiant is lower in the southern sky,” according to the AMS, adding that the Alpha Capracornids typically seen by those on both sides of the equator equally well.

If you go outside, you should definitely wait for the time to come completely dark (The time that happens depends on your location). As with most celestial events, the darker the sky, the better your chances of seeing something. Both showers will last through the night and be loud Griffith Observatory, will peak just before sunrise.

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No fancy equipment is required to see these meteor showers. “You can experience the magic of the night without equipment” Jackie Faherty, a Hubble Fellow at the Earth and Planets Laboratory at the Carnegie Institute for Science, said prevention, and adds that it’s important to leave 15-20 minutes early to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.

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Usually the leasing contract for your vehicle is not a bargain. But then again, these are not normal times. With used car prices more than 34% more than at the same time last year, you can potentially buy your car for less than it currently sells in the market. That way, you could sell your car to dealers and collect the difference. Here’s how it works.

The market value of your leased vehicle

Most leases have a buyout clause that allows you to buy the car at any point during the lease. Your lease contains a residual value that represents the precalculated value of your vehicle when the lease expires. But with vehicle supply issues related to the pandemic, the residual value of cars can currently be much lower than their true market value. For example, a lease could give your used vehicle a residual value of $ 15,000 – but that price probably didn’t take into account the skyrocketing 34% vehicle prices last year, which would add another $ 5,100 in lease equity.

By comparing the market value with the Total cost of early car purchase (Residual value, remaining monthly payments from the lease, sales taxes, and possibly an end-of-lease fee), you can successfully complete your purchase by selling your vehicle on the open market.

How to determine the market value of your vehicle

You can find used car prices for the make, model, and mileage of your car by looking at car rating sources such as. use Kelley Blue Book, Autos.com, TrueCar, and Edmunds. From there, you can compare the real market value of your car to the residual value stated on your lease, as the difference will help you decide whether to go for a purchase (some models are more in demand than others). From there you can ask your dealer for a buyout offer that includes final payments and a possible termination fee. If the bill looks good, you can sell it or pay that equity into a new lease on another car.

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However, car companies are gathering

As Jalopnik points outUsually, you can invite offers from dealers like Carvana or Vroom to buy your lease direct from your car’s finance department and they would write you a check for the value in its equity or that value into a new lease on one of their own vehicles . However, citing supply chain problemsHonda recently joined Nissan and GM in refusing to accept buyouts from unaffiliated dealers, forcing car owners to return cars to the dealerships they bought them from. This, of course, prevents you from getting the highest bid on your car.

This does not mean that you cannot buy the car for the purchase price stated in the contract, but you will need the cash in advance or to finance the purchase with a loan. That way it’s more of a chore and higher risk (since a buyer isn’t in line immediately), but once that transaction is complete you are free to sell the car to whoever you want.

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The worst part about makeup is losing weight at the end of the day. Disposable makeup wipes and cotton pads are expensive and wasteful, but most people consider them a necessary evil. Assuming your cleaner can’t remove makeup on its own, you need something to do it. But here’s the thing: no matter what type of facial cleanser you use, it can remove makeup. All you have to do is apply it on a dry face.

Splashing water on your face before cleaning is probably a given at this point, but it will only make the job of your detergent more difficult – especially if you’re wearing makeup, sunscreen, or both. Neither will dissolve in water, so the first few splashes will hang on the surface of your skin and create a barrier between your detergent and the material you want to remove. When you apply it to dry skin, there is no barrier so the surfactants can easily dissolve your waterproof foundation and zinc-based sunscreen. All you have to do is flush it away.

You can do this with literally any detergent in any format – liquids, gels, foams, creams, and even bars all work great. Just pump or squeeze a generous amount of the cleanser into your hands and massage into your dry face for about 30 seconds. (For bars of soap, put a lather under the faucet first and then apply the soapy water to your face.) If you’re using a super-gentle, mild cleanser, try dabbing a little on your eyes to dissolve the mascara and eyeliner.it doesn’t drip in your eyes until you add water.

Your makeup should be pretty well dissolved by this point, but for added security, slide your fingers under the faucet and use the extra water to emulsify the cleaner a little. Now you can rinse your face thoroughly and pat dry. If there are any mascara stragglers, clean them up with a damp cotton swab or washcloth.

This process is gentler, cheaper, and more effective than any other makeup remover I’ve tried. It reliably dissolves everything from minimal makeup to a full face without causing a surprising rosacea flare, which is more than I can say for makeup wipes and micellar water. If you’ve burned yourself with makeup remover in the past – or just need an easy way to wash off your thick, greasy sunscreen – aren’t spending your money on products that may not help. Your regular cleaner is probably all you need.

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Hotels are already expensive, the last thing you need is insidious fees that add unexpected costs to your travel budget. Hotel fees aren’t always something to avoid – especially in popular resorts – but you shouldn’t be surprised by them either. With that in mind, here are some common fees that you can skip – if you’re a busy shopper.

This will save you hotel fees and other add-ons

There are a few ways to avoid hotel fees. One of them is participating in chain hotel loyalty programs, which typically forego the additional costs – wifi, late check-out, parking, resort fees – that are normally charged by off-street customers. Hotel brand award cards are also free of charge and offer cashback or points that can be redeemed for free hotel rooms or flights.

That being said, knowledge is power: knowing what to look out for can help you avoid hotel chains that charge excessive fees – before you book the hotel room (Nerdwallet has a good overview of the fees by hotel chain). Unfortunately, this requires some additional research as many booking sites only list the room rate in their search results and ancillary charges are only added at the end of the booking process. You should therefore carefully check your subtotal for additional costs that go beyond the stated room rate. If a booking page is unclear, you can always book directly with the hotel and request a breakdown of charges (if they are not already listed on the website).

Hotel fees should come as no surprise

While you cannot realistically avoid all hotel fees by choosing to stay at this hotel, you have a right to know what you will end up paying – with no surprises. The best way to do this is to visualize your journey from start to finish and use the list below to think about what fees might be generating. Once you’ve done that, you can start looking for a hotel that will keep the cost of things you don’t really need to a minimum.

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Resort fees

The resort fee (or “destination fee”) is arguably one of the largest creations of money in the hotel industry and is supposed to be used for the use of amenities in a resort, although ordinary hotels with few amenities charge for it. also. A resort fee is around $ 30 per day or more, which can add 10-20% to your hotel bill.

A resort fee in places like Las Vegas or Miami can be hard to avoid, but you can at least shop around and minimize costs as resort fees vary by hotel. The site Resort Fee Checker is a good start. Otherwise, if you have an unexpected resort fee, politely ask the hotel manager what the fee is for. If you have not used any of the services covered by a resort fee, it may be removed from your bill.

Early check-in fee

If you’re on a cheap red-eye flight, make sure that the hotel will charge you extra for early check-in as this can sometimes be a cost up to 50 percent of the room rate, potentially wiping out the savings from your flight.

Additional person fee

Hotels often charge $ 20 to $ 50 per additional adult per night, so keep this in mind when traveling with a companion. They’re probably worth the extra cost, but it’s still good to know in advance.

WLAN fee

Hotels (especially luxury brands) can be pretty shameless about charging for Wi-Fi, with fees that can range from $ 10 to $ 20 a night – although free Wi-Fi is common and viewed by most consumers as a courtesy rather than a premium service . For this reason, I personally do not stay in hotels that charge for WiFi.

The dreaded minibar

The snacks in your room’s minibar are often so ridiculously expensive ($ 16 for a package of M & Ms!) That they should be avoided entirely. If you need help avoiding the allure of the accessible midnight snack, you can look to hotels that don’t have stocked minibars.

Also, don’t assume that bottled water is free in your room – you will often be charged a greatly increased price for every bottle you open.

parking fee

If you’re driving, expect major city hotels to charge $ 25 to $ 35 a day for parking – plus a tip if it’s just valet parking. One trick is to look for free or cheaper parking near the hotel as well.

Gym fee

This could be as bad as the WiFi fee, albeit less common. Again, you should avoid hotels that have charged this fee unless the hotel is otherwise perfect and you see yourself at the hotel gym during your stay.

Tip for housekeeping

Hotels sometimes require a mandatory tip for housekeepers – usually around 10% – but it is rare and so can be a bit of a surprise that can result in you tipping twice.

Safe fee

If you never use a hotel safe, you probably don’t want to pay for it. Safe fees are typically a few dollars, but exactly what that fee is paid for (safe maintenance?) Is unclear.

other fees

You’d think we had it all covered, but hotels may include fees for beach chairs and umbrellas; graduated internet speeds; Telephone usage charges (including local charges); Pet fees; and additional fees for extra beds. Read the fine print and book accordingly.