Astronomy club to host meteor shower watch
The Perseid meteor shower is easy to observe in good weather and in deep darkness, without a telescope or any other special equipment.
There is good reason NASA calls the Perseid meteor shower “the best meteor shower of the year.” It’s easy to observe in good weather and in deep darkness, without a telescope or any other special equipment.
But such a combination of events may be elusive, even in a rural area, said Robin Gill, Wilderness Center astronomy specialist. The astronomy club she oversees at the center is planning a meteor shower watch the late evening of Aug. 13, which is at the tail end of the recommended best viewing time.
“The peak viewing time is the night of Aug. 11 until the next morning,” Gill said. “But we found that many club members have work responsibilities that night, so we are gathering Friday night, which shouldn’t pose that much of a difference.”
Even if you aren’t an astronomy club member or have never been to The Wilderness Center, anyone is welcome to attend. “You want to view the meter shower from a place that is as dark as possible,” Gill said.
The Perseid meteor shower is made up of the fragmentary remnants of a comet named 109P, designating it the 109th comet discovered. The fragments aren’t so much hurling at earth as earth is passing through the cloud of debris left behind by the comet, which is an annual event closely watched by astronomers.
“We understand that this should be a near perfect year for viewing the meteor shower,” Gill said. “There will be a small sliver of moonlight. You want a sky that is good and dark — the darker the better.”
The problem, she said, isn’t so much technical or weather related but man made. “The hard part is escaping light pollution,” or the light routinely generated by human habitation from street lamps, automobile headlights, homes and other sources. “It really has to be good and dark to get a good view of the shower,” Gill said.
The chance of seeing some atmospheric action is pretty high this summer, Gill explained, with as many as 100 meteors per hour to be seen in perfect conditions, as opposed to the usual 60 or so.
“If you orient your body so that your back is toward the constellation of Perseus,” she said, “and look up, you will see the fragments coming from behind you overhead. That’s how you know you’re looking at the right thing.”
While we may envision meteors to be gigantic space debris, the peels of light in the night sky caused by the Perseid meteor shower are much smaller.
“These are like grains of sand,” Gill said. “Remember, these are the cast-off debris from a comet, and they burn up upon entry to earth’s atmosphere. We are passing though the same path the comet passed through long ago, and this is the tiny rubble left behind, coming into contact with earth.”
Luckily, no telescope is needed to get a good view. “Optimum time to watch is Aug. 11 beginning as early as 10 p.m., though the best view is late at night before dawn,” Gill said. “All you really need is a good, dark sky free of unnecessary light and a lawn chair.”
Anyone with an interest in the Perseid meteor shower or the astronomy club at The Wilderness Center is welcome to attend the viewing on Aug. 13. The Wilderness Center is located at 9877 Alabama Ave. SW in Wilmot, and new active members are always welcome.
The astronomy club is always pleased to welcome new members as well, Gill said. More information is available at www.wildernesscenter.org.