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Highland Road Park Observatory

Tuesday 11 August from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am

Free and for all ages.

Visitors must adhere to rules below.

ABOUT THE PERSEIDS

The Perseids are one of the major meteor showers of the year, caused by debris left from the passings of Comet☄ Swift-Tuttle. Come learn about meteors and let’s see if we can spot some “earthgrazers.” Although telescopes aren’t needed for the Perseids, we’ll have a telescope available from 10:00 pm to midnight for leisurely gazing at other celestial objects. But look fast for the meteors; Perseid meteoroids hit our atmosphere traveling about sixty kilometers a second! If you’re lucky, you may see a fireball.

POSITION OF THE MOON

The waning crescent Moon will rise at 12:36 am and will not be a hindrance for meteor viewing.

OTHER OBJECTS FOR VIEWING

10:00 pm to 12:00 am = Jupiter♃ / Saturn♄ / Pallas

11:45 pm to 12:00 am = Neptune♆

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Please do not set up your lawn chair or blanket without receiving direction from staff. Visitors may only use the grass area south of the 16OGS building. Please do not lie down on any concrete, as your body would be a tripping hazard.

No white lights are allowed. White light destroys night vision. Please keep headlights off. Please outfit your white flashlights with red construction paper, a red stretch balloon, red cellophane (several layers may be needed to make the light suitably dim) or a thin coat of red nail polish. Please do not use a camera flash upstairs in the dome or outside at the viewing pads without permission from the telescope operators.

Binoculars are not encouraged, as magnification is not used to see meteors.

If an HRPO telescope is not in operation, please do not handle it in any way. If an HRPO telescope is in operation, please wait until it’s your turn and place your eye to the eyepiece without touching the telescope.

telescope is not in operation, please do not handle it in any way. If an telescope is in operation, please wait until it’s your turn and place your eye to the eyepiece without touching the telescope. No glass containers are allowed.

Pets and animals must remain under control and on a leash at all times.

Litter and refuse are to be placed in proper receptacles.

Running is not allowed outside at night, or inside at any time.

Food and drink are not allowed in either of the two large telescope domes.

Alcohol, smoking and loud music are not allowed. Please utilize headphones or earphones so that only you hear your music.

It is disallowed for any person to be on BREC property after dark. HRPO grounds are the only BREC property on which the public is invited for the Perseid meteor shower. There will be no remaining on HRPO grounds after 2:00 am.

Updated by Frederick J. Barnett on Friday, June 12, 2020, 11:16 AM.