Thursday, Aug. 13 at 2 a.m. — KILLINGTON — The Sherburne Memorial Library is excited to host a meteor shower party, with the definite date depending on the weather. The Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to be at peak from Aug. 11-14, with the prime viewing night scheduled for the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug. 13. Every year, from around July 17 to Aug. 24, Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, the parent of the Perseid meteor shower. Debris from this comet litters the comet’s orbit, but we don’t really get into the thick of the comet rubble until after the first week of August. The bits and pieces from Comet Swift-Tuttle slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at some 210,000 kilometers (130,000 miles) per hour, lighting up the nighttime with fast-moving Perseid meteors. If Earth happens to pass through an unusually dense clump of meteoroids – comet rubble – an elevated number of meteors will be visible. Forecasting the time and intensity of any meteor shower’s peak – or multiple peaks – is unpredictable. The Perseids should put out a few dozen meteors per hour in the wee hours of the mornings of Aug. 11, 12 and 13.
Check the library’s Facebook page and/or www.sherburnelibrary.org for details. Telescopes will be available; bring lawn chairs or blankets and snacks. The library will provide drinks and the party will begin at 2 a.m. behind the library on the clearest night, either Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 2 a.m. or Thursday, Aug. 13 at 2 a.m. All ages are welcome.
