Saturday 12 August from 10pm to 2am
Free and for all ages. Visitors must adhere to rules below.
ABOUT THE PERSEIDS
The Perseids are one of the major meteor showers of the year, caused by debris left from the passings of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Come learn about meteors and let’s see if we can spot some “earthgrazers”. Although telescopes aren’t needed for the Perseids, we’ll have a telescope available from 10pm to midnight for leisurely gazing at other celestial objects. But look fast for the meteors; Perseid meteoroids hit our atmosphere traveling about sixty kilometers a second! If you’re lucky, you may see a fireball…
POSITION OF THE MOON
The waning crescent Moon will be below the horizon during the entire viewing.
DIRECTION OF VIEWING
From 10pm to 12am, meteor hunters should face the southeast. After 12am, they should face the direction with the darkest skies.
BINOCULAR TARGETS
10pm to 12am = Job’s Coffin
Personnel encourage patrons to cease binocular viewing at 12am
TELESCOPIC TARGETS
10pm to 12am = Albireo
10:15pm to 12am = Saturn
10:30pm to 11:45pm = Hercules Cluster
11:30pm to 12am = Andromeda Galaxy
Telescopic viewing ends at 12am to encourage meteor hunting.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
*Please do not set up your lawn chair or blanket without receiving direction from staff. Visitors may only use the grass area south of the 16OGS building. Please do not lie down on any concrete, as your body would be a tripping hazard.
*No white lights are allowed. White light destroys night vision. Please keep headlights off. Please outfit your white flashlights with red construction paper, a red stretch balloon, red cellophane (several layers may be needed to make the light suitably dim) or a thin coat of red nail polish. Please do not use a camera flash upstairs in the dome or outside at the viewing pads without permission from the telescope operators.
*Binoculars are not encouraged for meteor hunting as magnification limit the field of view.
*If a telescope is not in operation, please do not handle it in any way. If a telescope is in operation, please wait until it’s your turn and place your eye to the eyepiece without touching the telescope.
*No glass containers are allowed.
*Pets and animals must remain under control and on a leash at all times.
*Litter and refuse are to be placed in proper receptacles.
*Running is not allowed outside at night, or inside at any time.
*Food and drink are not allowed in either of the two large telescope domes.
*Alcohol, smoking and loud music are not allowed. Please utilize headphones or earphones so that only you hear your music.
*It is disallowed for any person to be on BREC property after dark. HRPO grounds are the only BREC property on which the public is invited for the Perseid meteor shower. There will be no remaining on HRPO grounds after 2am
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING 2023 HEAT WAVE
Although this event begins late, it is still advised to bring water to drink and/or to go into the main building periodically to cool off and drink from the water fountain.