Perseus Meteor Shower / Late Night Star Party
August 13 @ 9:00 PM - August 14 @ 1:00 AM
The Perseid Meteor Shower is going to be a great one this year thanks to a moonless night, and you are invited out the Branched Oak Observatory for the best chances to see a shooting star or two.
For this event, we will be shifting our regular Thursday night Summer Hours of 7-11pm BACK TO 9pm-1am. These late night hours will increase the odds for additional shooting stars. Visit anytime between 9PM and 1AM and stay as long as you would like.
Observing will begin a little after 9PM, with visitors having the opportunity to see galaxies, nebulae, and star-clusters through our different telescopes. As the evening progresses, the radiant (apparent origin) of the shower will rise higher in the northeast increasing the probability of additional and brighter meteors.
– The cost is just $5 per person.
– The event will begin Thursday evening at 9pm, and the sky-park will remain open until 1am Friday.
– Feel free to come anytime between 9pm and 1am (the later the better for observing). Lay back, relax, and stay as long as you would like.
– Bring your own lawn chairs, Zero-g chairs, blankets, pillows, etc. Bring your own cooler, refreshments and snacks.
– Although the meteors will be the “(shooting) star of the show”, we will have our various telescopes trained on dozens of beautiful objects throughout the evening, including outstanding views of the Planet Saturn (towards the end of the event).
– This event is weather dependent. If the skies are not cooperating, observations may be difficult or impossible. PLEASE check our Facebook Page PRIOR to visiting for potential cancelations and general updates regarding the event.
See here for the location of Branched Oak Observatory.
https://tinyurl.com/BOO-Location-Map . NO Park Permit required (We are near, but not inside the Branched Oak SRA).
https://tinyurl.com/BOO-Location-Map . NO Park Permit required (We are near, but not inside the Branched Oak SRA).
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Background:
The Perseid Meteor Shower is caused when the Earth passes through the debris leftover by Comet Swift-Tuttle. These tiny remnants enter Earth’s atmosphere and produce a beautiful light show. The high point of the meteor shower is predicted between the 11th and the 14th of August and may yield as many as 90 meteors per hour. The “radiant” for the shower is in the constellation of Perseus found low in the northeast. Perseus is the Greek hero who flew in on the back of Pegasus and dispatched the Kraken sea monster using the head of Medusa and saving Andromeda the Princess.
