One of the biggest astronomical events of the year globally, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak Saturday night until around 4 a.m. Sunday. Metro Detroit astronomy lovers can take a trip up north or find a spot anywhere with minimal light and pollution in hopes of viewing the meteors.
Michigan is home to a handful of dark sky preserves and specialized parks that make it easy to know the best spots with a prime sky for meteor viewing. The state’s internationally designated dark sky parks include Headlands Dark Sky Park in Emmet County, Keweenaw Dark Sky Park in Keweenaw County, and Dr. T.K. Lawless Park in Cass County.
The Perseid meteor shower is active from July 14 to Sept. 1 this year, but gets closest to the planet’s surface every August. While the full moon last year made it hard to see at its peak, the moon is currently a thin crescent, so its dimmer light should make the viewing easier.
Meteors, also known as shooting stars, are pieces of debris from objects in space that are falling toward Earth’s atmosphere, causing streaks of light in the sky, according to National Geographic.
During the Perseid meteor shower’s peak, at least one meteor is expected to be visible every minute. While it can be seen from anywhere in the sky, the meteors will appear most visible near Perseus, the constellation in the northern sky and the namesake of the astronomical event.
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