Here we are less than 365 days until the total solar eclipse that will be seen from coast-to-coast in the U.S. on August 21, 2017. This will be the first total solar eclipse to grace the U.S. mainland since 1979 and the first to sweep across the entire country since 1918!
animated map of the Moon’s shadows across Earth
Before I go any further I want to say to all those reading this article who have never witnessed a total solar eclipse – please, please make every effort to get to the center line next summer and experience totality. Nothing compares to it. No words can adequately explain the awesome spectacle, the emotional response generated and grandeur of a total solar eclipse. You simply must experience it at least once in your lifetime.
The 2016 edition of the Perseid Meteor Shower should be a good one. In most years the meteor shower produces 60 to 120 meteors per hour as seen under dark sky conditions but this year the Earth will be plowing through a more dense stream of cometary debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. On the morning of Friday, August 12th the shower peaks with up to 200 meteors per hour predicted. NASA’s video below explains the Perseid meteor shower as well as other astro highlights for the month.
As the constellation Perseus rises in the northeast the Moon will be setting in the southwest at about 1:30 a.m. CDT here in the DFW area. This will be the best time to begin watching for meteors. Choose a location away from city lights. Use a reclining lawn chair so you and lean back and encompass as much of the night sky as possible. It’s not necessary to focus your gaze on the constellation Perseus. All the meteors you see will appear to originate from this constellation if you were to trace them back to that point but you will be able to see meteors all over the sky. If you see a meteor that does not appear to trace back to Perseus in the northeast sky then you know you’ve seen a “sporadic” meteor (one not related to the current meteor shower).
The Rio Brazos chapter of Texas Master Naturalists will be hosting a star party on Saturday September 10, 2016 from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Acton Nature Center, 6900 Smoky Hill Ct. Granbury, TX 76049. There will be a guest speaker at the twilight program under the pavilion adjacent to the parking lot starting at 8:00 p.m. After the program attendees will take a short walk down the path to the farmhouse where we will have telescopes set up with sky guides to show you the night sky.
Please bring a blanket or chair to sit in, water to drink and enjoy the evening. Restrooms are available on site. We welcome anyone who is interested in sharing knowledge or telescopes with the public.
Current amateur astronomy information such as points of interest and events in the night sky, star party dates, educational information, telescopes buying tips and much more.
