CINCINNATI, Oh. – Near the end of every summer, our skies are graced with the appearance of a dazzling display from the Perseid meteor shower. The Cincinnati Observatory is providing advice and guidance for those that want to make an effort to make a wish on a “shooting star”.
“Meteor showers are a great opportunity for sky gazers because they don’t require any special equipment, just patience and a dark sky,” says Dr. Wes Ryle, astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory. “All you need to do is find a comfy spot to lay out under the stars and watch patiently without interference from any lights.”
The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year around the same time, with meteors beginning to appear many weeks before the peak of activity, which occurs on the evening of August 11th and into the early morning of August 12th. Meteors appear as a brief flash and streak of light, caused by small particles burning up in Earth’s atmosphere due to their enormous speeds. These particles originate from the previous passage of a comet, in this case, the Comet Swift-Tuttle. With each passage, the comet leaves a trail of debris that intersects Earth’s orbit.
“When Earth plows into the debris field left by the comet, it kind of looks like the view out of your windshield when you are driving through snowfall,” explains Dr. Ryle. “The meteors all appear to come from a single point, called the radiant, because the Earth is headed in that particular direction in its orbit.”
The best views of the Perseid meteor shower will be made at the darkest sites. This means trying to get away from urban areas and city lights as much as possible. Additionally, the first quarter moon will be up until midnight, with the best viewing taking place in the early morning hours up to dawn. If you’re up late and at a dark site, you could see up to 100 meteors per hour. If your sky is brighter, you’ll see less meteors, but will still have a good chance of seeing multiple meteors streak across the sky. Also, keep in mind that good viewing could still occur a couple of days before or after the peak, just in case the weather isn’t cooperative.
Because the Cincinnati Observatory is located in an urban area with significant light pollution, they will not be holding a public event for the Perseids. However, they do have a dark sky site partner at Stonelick State Park which hosts regular, free star-gazing events. More information can be found at www.facebook.com/StonelickStargazers/.
ABOUT DR. WES RYLE AND THE CINCINNATI OBSERVATORY
Dr. Wes Ryle is a Ph.D. astronomer with more than 16 years of experience in public outreach and teaching in the tri-state area. He has been the astronomer at The Cincinnati Observatory since June of 2024. The Cincinnati Observatory is known as ‘The Birthplace of American Astronomy.’ It houses one of the oldest working telescopes in the world and was the first public observatory in the western hemisphere. Visit www.cincinnatiobservatory.org for more details.
