The Grand Rapids Public Museum just announced that a virtual program will be offered to the public on Thursday, July 29 at 6 p.m. It will focus on the upcoming Perseid Meteor Shower that’s expected to peak in mid-August. It’s called, “Backyard Stargazing”.
“The thing that’s really cool about Perseid, is that they’re brighter and more noticeable than many others. And people ask, how do I know if I saw a meteor or not, and I say, trust me, you’ll know as soon as you see it.
That’s Jack Daleske, Planetarium Manager at Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium at the GRPM. Virtual visitors will journey to the depths of the universe, alongside the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium experts to learn about the characteristics of meteors and how to spot the Perseid Meteor Shower. It’s called “Backyard Stargazing”. He says it’s an extension of the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium experience.
“It’s a lot like our planetarium show. You know it’s not quite as cool being on flat screen computer as opposed to being in the plantetarium. But I kind of walk them through the stars they can find in the night sky, any planets.”
Daleske says the virtual experience is surely not the same as the real deal, but he hopes it will encourage people to get outside.
“I really try to encourage people to do, seeing on laptop is one thing. But going out at night with your family and actually seeing it with your own eyes is cool.”
“For me, the reason I think it’s so exciting, is all that stuff is really out there. It might be a little silly to say that. You learn about Mars or Jupiter, but no, you can go out there right now, see it for yourself. You can see the rings of Saturn, that’s kind of the aha moment, when you can see it for yourself.”
The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks in mid-August and is considered to be the best meteor shower of the year; this year it’s expected to peak on Sunday, August 11th.
Backyard Stargazing Meetups are only $2 for GRPM members and $4 for the general public. One ticket link is needed per household. early registration is recommended. Tickets can be reserved or purchased at grpm.org/calendar.
