THUNDER BAY — One of the most spectacular shows of the night sky is coming up this month, and Fort William Historical Park is looking to enhance the viewing experience.
The Perseids Meteor Shower will peak on August 12 this year and offer up an impressive light show in the night sky.
Fort William Historical Park will be hosting a viewing experience on August 12 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory.
“The Perseids is very important in terms of the amount of meteorites we are getting every hour, which is about 50 to 100 coming through the sky; it is one of the biggest throughout the year,” said Jonathan Reid, environmental, ecological, and outdoor education specialist with the park.
The night will include children’s activities, a keynote talk about the comet the Perseids come from, viewing using telescopes, and Indigenous life staff talking about the Anishinabek perspective of the night sky.
Reid said there will also be viewing of deep sky objects using the observatory telescope, including some globular clusters, the Ring Nebula, and maybe some galaxies. People will also have a chance to look at and hold actual meteorites.
The Perseids are the result of Earth passing through the debris left by the tail of the Swift-Tuttle Comet. An increased number of meteorites can be visible throughout late July and into August, with the peak usually happening between August 11 and 14.
“It’s like lights just flickering through the sky,” Reid said. “When you look at it, it’s almost like seeing, not fireworks, but when you see the fireworks coming down after the actual display happens. It’s like that. Very quick, white, sometimes you get a few colours in there. It’s pretty speculator.”
While the meteor shower is visible to the naked eye, Reid recommends using a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to make it a little clearer.
Tickets are $15 and Reid recommends getting tickets early as spaces are limited for the viewing experience.
If it is cloudy, activities will still take place, and a live stream from another area will be available.
More information is available on the Fort William Historical Park website.
