Perseid meteor shower and partial solar eclipse on Wednesday offer a double feature for Kawarthas stargazers
Stargazers in the Kawarthas region are preparing for a double celestial event featuring the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday. The new moon will provide optimal dark skies for viewing the meteor shower, while the eclipse will be visible as a partial event in Canada.
Why it matters
Public interest in astronomy events fosters community engagement with science and nature.
Every August, stargazers look forward with excitement to the annual Perseid meteor shower and, this year, the meteor shower will peak on Wednesday night (August 12).
During the peak, 50 to 120 meteors will be visible per hour if you are in a dark location - and the good news is that there will be a new moon, so the entire sky will be dark all night.
Making Wednesday extra special for stargazers, that new moon will be eclipsing the sun earlier in the day, resulting in a partial solar eclipse in the Kawarthas region.
Every year from late July to early August, Earth plows through the interplanetary debris left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle when it passed close to Earth (the last time was in 1992, and the next time will be in 2125).
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