Blackwater Falls State Park is hosting a free viewing of an annual meteor shower Monday, August 11th and Tuesday, August 12th.
On clear nights from mid-July to late August, meteors from the Perseid meteor shower can be seen in the night sky, but the peak show happens around August 11th and 12th.
Meteors can be observed in the early evening sky after darkness falls; however, the number of meteors increases after midnight.
Staff members at Blackwater Falls State Park say the park is one of the darkest areas in the east and provides the perfect setting as Earth passes through the debris of Swift-Tuttle – a comet discovered in July 1862.
The free event at Blackwater Falls will begin indoors both nights at 7:30 p.m. at the Harold Walters Nature Center, and then move outdoors for the viewing. It will include a presentation with guest interpreter, Dan Costanzo, a scientist with the National Air and Space Museum with more than 40 years of experience watching meteors and the night sky.
The nature center area will be free of artificial lighting during the viewing, and it’s encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to sit back and watch the show.