One of the strongest meteor showers in the northern hemisphere and a summer star party are just some of the highlights for stargazers this month.
The Perseid meteor shower peaks from Aug. 11 to 13. The recommended time to view the meteor shower is shortly after midnight on Aug. 12.
Abby Sadowski with the Royal Astronomical Society Regina talked about the best way to observe the shower.
“Out of the city, where there’s no lights or less lights. Even 20 minutes out of a city is really good,” she said. “You view the meteor shower with the naked eye. So, no binoculars, no telescope because they’re too fast and too small. So, you just watch the shower with the naked eye.”
What sets this meteor shower apart is that, instead of seeing a periodic streak across the sky, there is the potential to see dozens, if not hundreds, of meteors streaking through the sky in an hour.
Under the right conditions — dark, cloud-free skies — the Perseid shower can produce about 100 meteors an hour. However, the illumination of the moon can make it difficult to see all of them.
Also taking place from Aug. 20 to 24 is the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, put on by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Saskatoon and Regina centres.
Astronomers from across the province rent out campsites so like-minded people can come together to do some stargazing.
“Lots of the astronomers there are super friendly and more than happy to have you look through their telescope and it’s a really cool event,” Sadowski said.
There are also a number of featured speakers and clinics.
You can find out more about the event by visiting the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party website.
Residents are also reminded that the Kalium Observatory at the Saskatchewan Science Centre offers free public observing twice a month. The next public observing times are Sept. 5 and 26, starting at 8 p.m. You can find the full schedule for the Kalium Observatory at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Regina Centre website.