BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Brad Klein reviews upcoming astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy," Marty McGuire.
This week, although the Perseid meteor shower has passed its peak, it’s not too late to see a "shooting star."
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaked on the nights of Aug. 12-13, but the meteor shower extends for weeks before and after its peak night. And, the waning moon creates darker skies as the week goes on, which is a big help to meteor viewing.
For the best chance at seeing the streak of light made as a meteor enters the Earth’s atmosphere, get comfortable in the darkest location you can find, relax, and simply look up into the night sky.
“Dark skies are amazing,” says McGuire. “You get to appreciate how many more stars and objects you can see in the night sky when you really get away from city lights.”
For a true "dark sky" experience, you might want to drive outside the Lehigh Valley entirely, to Cherry Springs State Park in the northcentral part of Pennsylvania. There, you’ll find some of the darkest skies in the state at this destination for stargazers.
