The Kansas Wetlands Education Center will host its annual viewing party for the Perseid Meteor Shower. Activities will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, and continue until it’s dark enough to see the meteor shower. The center is located between Great Bend and Claflin at 592 NE K-156.
Sponsors describe the event as a free, fun filled family evening of crafts, games, snacks and stargazing.
This is the center’s third year annual viewing party for the Perseid Meteor Shower, which can be seen every year when the earth passes through the trail of dust and debris left by the Swift-Tuttle comet.
The meteor shower occurs every year between July 17 and Aug. 24, and tends to peak around August 9-13. It is one of the brighter meteor showers of the year in the northern hemisphere, with over 50 meteors per hour at its peak. It got its name because the meteors appear to come from the constellation Perseus, although the meteors appear in all parts of the sky.
For the party, kids can play “Moon Twister,” create their own meteors and act out the story of Perseus the Greek hero. Everyone can enjoy s’mores roasted over a fire along with other refreshments while watching the sky.
The Fort Hays State University Science and Mathematics Education Institute’s inflatable planetarium will be on site for guaranteed star viewing.
Participants may bring a lawn chair or blanket for more comfortable stargazing. For more information call the KWEC, 877-243-9268.