Perseid meteors are tiny fragments of space debris, mostly dust and small pebbles, shed by the Swift-Tuttle Comet, and visible in West Michigan each August.
“Because they appear to be radiating from the constellation Perseus, we call that the Perseid meteor shower. And it's usually the most popular and sometimes the best meteor shower in terms of meteors per hour.”
Tom Good is vice president of the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association which focuses on community outreach, hands-on telescope training, and helping beginners connect with practical astronomy.
“To give people sometimes their very first experience at looking at the moon, solar system, and deep sky objects through a powerful telescope. And for a lot of people, all it takes is one glimpse at a star cluster, at a distant galaxy or Saturn or the moon, and they get the astronomy bug.”
Good says Perseid meteors can be seen with the naked eye and this year’s peak may be especially dramatic because it coincides with a new moon passing between the earth and the sun.
“When the moon is in a fuller phase, the moonlight sometimes washes out some of the dimmer meteors that we look for. “
The association operates an observatory in Lowell, hosting public viewing nights several times a month, April through October.
Weather permitting, the group is hosting a public meteor viewing party Wednesday, August 12 at Cascade Township Park in Grand Rapids from 11PM until 3AM, offering telescopes and tips for best viewing.
Check graa.org for updates on the event.
