Monday and Tuesday nights will be the best for stargazing as the Perseid meteor shower will be the most visible.
The meteor shower has been occurring for the last few weeks, and will last for a few weeks more.
Eagle Butte Observatory astronomer Rod Devries said that the next two evenings will give the best show.
“Some people think meteor shower, meteor storm, it’s going to be like just raining, right? And it’s like no,” Devries said.
“But, when you’re out looking for the meteors, especially the Perseids, they’re bright, they’re colorful and the idea is to count how many can you see. It’s a lot of fun.”
Devries said that there will be roughly one meteor a minute screaming across the sky that can be observed by the naked eye.
Most people will look at the sky, see some stars and then go back to a campfire, which according to Devries, is a disservice to what can be observed.
Devries said that he’s trying to create excitement around meteor showers, nebula which are space clouds, galaxies and constellations.
Even beyond the annual meteor shower, 30 years into the hobby, he’s still finding new things to be amazed by.
“You know, that’s a trillion stars in a galaxy that is, right now, about two and a quarter light years away, or two and two and a quarter million light years away. In about four billion-ish years, it’s going to collide head-on with the Milky Way,” Devries told CHAT News.
“I get to show people things like this for the first time. Their reactions? Priceless.”
The Eagle Butte Observatory will host a viewing party, with Devries hosting a guided tour from 8 to 11 p.m.
