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I know I have referenced our summer camp out in several posts and lately, that’s what all my posts have been about (check out my camping foods post). But today I’m going to share with you all why we are picking the second week in August as our date.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brighter meteor showers of the year and tends to peak around August 9th-August 13th. Supposedly, during it’s peak you can see around 60 to 100 meteors in ONE HOUR! That’s a lot of shooting stars! And, I don’t know about you, but I need all the wishes granted that I can get 😉
How to watch meteor showers:
- Get out of town–find a place as far away from artificial lights as possible.
- This includes your phone! If you’re staring at your phone all night, it will make it harder for your eyes to adjust to the dark, making it more difficult to see the meteor shower.
- Be patient–be ready to wait. Most astronomers say the best time to watch is just before dawn.
- Be prepared–since you’re going to be in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, pack blankets, snacks, possibly even chairs, and bug spray or whatever you need to make this an enjoyable experience and not an annoying one.
What day should I watch?
- While the shower is supposed to peak between August 9th & 13th, several astronomy sites I’ve visited have suggested watching on the night of the 12th to early morning on the 13th and to look in the Northeast part of the sky, so that is our plan.
Alright, so there you have it! That is the big secret plan behind our midweek camping trip. In fact, if all goes well, I’m hoping this can be a new family tradition. So keep your fingers crossed, or maybe just make a wish on one of those stars for me 😉
Happy Stargazing!!
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