Greetings fellow astrophiles!
The week of the Perseid Meteor Shower is always an exciting one for amateur astronomers, as the Perseids combine high meteor counts (what can be the best for the year) and reasonably warm nighttime temperatures (which certainly keeps the Leonids from being many people’s preferred event of the year). While this year’s Perseid peak happens to fall very close to a Full Moon (or one of those crazy supermoons all the non-astronomical websites like to post about), people are still reporting being able to easily see the brightest fireballs. Those of you heading out on this clear Saturday Night may even see some early shooters a few days before the peak.
It is with this great summer observing event in mind that Baltimore Woods and Beaver Lake Nature Center will be hosting Public Viewing Sessions this week.
1. Perseids At Baltimore Woods, Tuesday, Aug. 12 – 8:30 to 11:00 p.m.
Bob Piekiel is hosting (and other CNYO members will be attending) his yearly session in Marcellus on Tuesday night with Wednesday, August 13th as the weather-alternate. This has been a fun and well-attended event in previous years, with the attendees half-aligned on blankets to the Perseid radiant and half enjoying the views through the attending telescopes. From the official announcement:
The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the year’s finest, plus Summer Skies and the Milky Way. Look into the heart of our Milky Way galaxy to see the finest examples of rich star clusters and gaseous nebulae. Also fantastic views of Mars and Saturn.
NOTE:
* Registration for these events are required. Low registration may cause programs to be canceled.
* $5 for members, $15/family; $8 for nonmembers, $25/family.
* To Register By Email: info@baltimorewoods.org
* To Register By Phone: (315) 673-1350
We invite you to enjoy the (hopefully) busy nighttime sky and support Baltimore Woods at the same time!
2. Stargazing With CNY Observers At Beaver Lake, Thurs. August 14
CNYO makes it seasonal return to Beaver Lake Nature Center this Thursday (with August 21st as the weather-alternate) at 8:00 p.m. (usually ending around 10:00 p.m.). From the official announcement:
The CNY observers host an introductory lecture to the night sky, focusing on planets and other objects observable during August and September. This outdoor lecture will cover some simple ways to learn the constellations, details about meteor showers (including the week’s Perseid meteor shower, observing satellites and the ISS and the ever-expanding description of our own Solar System. If time and weather permits, some early evening views of Mars, Saturn and Neptune will be had from the Beaver Lake parking lot.
Advanced registration is required for this event (if a critical number does not register, they will cancel the event. It hasn’t happened yet, but don’t take that chance!). See their official event page for more information: events.onondagacountyparks.com/view/160/stargazing-with-the-cny-observers
If you want to help us keep track of attendance, consider adding yourself to our meetup.com group and register for this event at: www.meetup.com/observe/events/200029892/
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