“Perseid meteor shower events Aug. 14 at Pokagon and Indiana Dunes state parks - Examiner” plus 3 more

Perseid meteor shower events Aug. 14 at Pokagon and Indiana Dunes state parks - Examiner
View the Perseid Meteor Shower at Broemmelsiek Park on Aug. 11 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (blog)
Perseid meteor shower peak approaching: Reserve your campsite for August (with photo slideshow) - Examiner
Summer Meteor Shower Season in Full Swing - msnbc.com

Perseid meteor shower events Aug. 14 at Pokagon and Indiana Dunes state parks - Examiner

Posted: 01 Aug 2010 04:55 PM PDT

By Steve Polston

Your family vacation and staycation opportunities don't end with the summer rush to go back to school – stargazing gets better mid-month in northern Indiana.

Pokagon State Park, near Angola, Ind., will have its 23rd annual All-night Star Spectacular and Indiana Dunes State Park, near Chesterton, Ind., will have its 4th annual Perseid Meteor Stargaze Aug. 14.

I remember well some August nights my mother insisted my brothers and I head out to the back yard with her to watch the Perseid meteor shower, and I think these memories are treasures of my lifetime.

Finding clear-view spots in urban areas may be difficult for some, but Indiana still has some excellent night time vistas. State parks in northern Indiana are good places.

My take-alongs for a night hike and program at a state park include bottled water, bug repellant, a lawn chair and a large-beam flashlight with red cellophane or red taillight tape covering the beam. This red-light set-up gives you plenty of light to watch your step as you look for a clear place of lawn to sit on or to hunt for your car keys and protects your sanity from being assaulted with a bright white light shining in the darkness. Wear long pants and long sleeves to keep the bugs off your skin and spray some bug repellant around the cuffs.

Activities at Pokagon are from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. – use equipment provided by the Astronomical Society of Hillsdale County (Mich.) to view stars, star clusters, nebulae and other cosmic features. The moon will be near one-quarter and offer some views as it sets. The western horizon will also be home for Venus and Mars in the early evening. There will be a short presentation pointing out constellations, and stories will be told on the legends and lore of the night sky. Viewers are encouraged to bring binoculars.
1 a.m. to 2 a.m. – the telescopes will be put away and participants will enjoy naked eye viewing of the Perseid meteor showers. During the early morning hours there could be as many as 30 to 50 "shooting stars" in one hour. This is very near the peak date for the annual Perseid showers.

All activities take place on the lawn area at the CCC Shelter. The activities are informal and ongoing. Viewers may come at any time and stay as long as they wish. In case of clouds, contact the Nature Center before 4 p.m. at 260-833-2012 or the Potawatomi Inn after 4 p.m. at 260-833-1077 to inquire about the program's status.

The program is free; however, the standard daily park entrance fee ($5 in-state and $7 out-of-state) or annual park pass ($36 in-state, $46 out-of-state) is required. Both are available at the front gate.

Activities at Indiana Dunes are from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

8:30 p.m. – Stories on Native American sky lore from the state park interpretive naturalists will kick things off. Constellation talks will highlight the many star formations that can be viewed over the dunes this time of year.
9 p.m. – Starlight will be visible in the sky, especially facing north over Lake Michigan.

Storytelling takes place at the Tremont Shelter Lawn. All activities depend on favorable weather and are free after the standard $5 per vehicle ($10 out-of-state) entrance gate fee. For information, call 219-926-1390.

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View the Perseid Meteor Shower at Broemmelsiek Park on Aug. 11 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (blog)

Posted: 01 Aug 2010 04:55 PM PDT

BY Doug Bolnick | Posted: Monday, August 02, 2010 10:24 AM

VIEW THE ANNUAL PERSEID METEOR SHOWER STARS OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY EVENT AUG. 11

St. Charles County Parks — Each August, the skies above offer a fantastic display as the Perseid meteor shower is visible in the northeast. This year, the display is expected to be even more spectacular as the new moon cycle will provide an even less of a light distraction.

To enjoy the annual phenomenon this year, the St. Charles County Parks Department and members of the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri will offer one of their popular Stars of St. Charles County viewing events on Wednesday, Aug. 11, at the Broemmelsiek Park Astronomy Viewing Area. The viewing at Broemmelsiek Park will last from 8-11 p.m., but the peak display (where up to 60 meteors per hour can be produced) can sometimes last well into the wee hours under ideal conditions.

The Perseid meteor shower is visible from mid-July through mid-August and has been observed for nearly two centuries. The name generates from the fact that the meteors appear near the constellation Perseus in the sky. The source of the meteors is the debris field of the comet Swift-Tuttle.

Unlike most of the Stars of St. Charles County programs that utilize telescopes provided by members of ASEM, viewing the meteor shower requires nothing more advanced than the naked eye. For added comfort, participants are encouraged to bring reclining chairs or blankets, bug spray, and refreshments.

Advanced registration is encouraged, especially for large groups. Please call 636-949-7535 or visit www.stccparks.org. As this event is weather permitting, participants should call the department's Program hotline at 636-949-7475 in case of bad weather or heavy clouds.

The 494-acre Broemmelsiek Park offers picnic shelters, natural preserves, several miles of multi-use trail (open to hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders), a dog park, and the Astronomy Viewing Area. With a remote setting and limited light pollution, the astronomy area is open all day, year-round, and is equipped with 10 concrete viewing stations. To get to the park from Highway 40/61, go southwest on Highway DD (WingHaven Blvd.) for approximately four miles to Schwede Road. Turn right on Schwede and follow to the astronomy site (past the main park entrance on the right).

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Perseid meteor shower peak approaching: Reserve your campsite for August (with photo slideshow) - Examiner

Posted: 30 Jul 2010 08:29 AM PDT

The Perseid meteor shower peaks this year on August 12-13, 2010. Campsites within driving distance of the Bay Area fill up quickly in August, and the Perseids are a popular viewing event, so reserve an open-view camping area before it's too late. Keep in mind that the farther you drive away from the city, the darker the sky.

The Perseids

So named because its meteors seem to radiate from the Perseus constellation, the Perseid shower consists of debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Every summer, the Perseids produce meteors considered to be among the brightest of meteors.

Peak time for watching the Perseids

According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA, the Perseid meteor shower peaks this year between midnight and dawn (Thursday to Friday, August 12-13). During those hours you may see upwards of 50 meteors per hour. This year, the moon will be waxing, so moonlight will be minimal, promising a truly exceptional celestial show. See EarthSky's meteor shower guide for 2010 and NASA's article on the 2009 shower for more information.

Camping, hIking, and other stargazing events

Some organizations offer special stargazing events, though many for a fee. For example, Squaw Valley USA in Lake Tahoe hosts an elaborate Perseid Meteor Shower Family Campout. Closer to home, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve hosts a more muted evening hike and dinner event near Palo Alto (see previous article on Monte Bello), and Bay Nature leads a hike and campout in Sunol Regional Wilderness near Fremont. If events like these spark an interest, do your research and register now.

But perhaps the ultimate star-gazing experience is at your favorite open-space campsite with an unobstructed view of the sky. Bring a fleece jacket and gloves, a thermos of tea, and a blanket to lie upon, face pointed expectantly upwards.

For inspiration, see the slideshow below for a few amazing photos taken in previous years by skilled and patient photographers.

Looking for outdoor inspiration? For email alerts when new SF Outdoor Recreation articles are published, click on the "subscribe" button at the top of the page.

What are your plans for this year's shower? Leave your comments below.

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