NORTH ALGONA WILBERFORCE – The Shaw Woods Outdoor Education centre will host a special astronomy evening Aug. 11 to allow area residents to witness the annual Perseid meteor shower.
The annual Perseid meteor shower will take place over several nights from Aug. 10 to 13. The night of Saturday, Aug. 11 should offer excellent viewing conditions with a very small crescent of a new moon, which will set before the meteor shower begins. The Shaw Woods is a perfect “dark-sky” location for this event!
The evening will begin at 9 p.m. (just after sunset) with a discussion by Fred Blackstein, co-chairman of the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre, on the five Ws (what, when, why, where, who) of the Perseid meteor shower. Then, everyone can sit back in their lawn chairs with some hot chocolate provide through sponsorship from the Retired Teachers of Ontario, to enjoy nature’s glory. It is also possible attendees could be serenaded by the resident Barred Owl.
In the event of cloudy weather organizers will provide lots of astronomy information, so guests will be able to observe the event on one of the following nights.
The best part of the show is expected to be near midnight. Guests should have warm clothing, insect repellant and lawn chair or yoga-type mat. Parking is limited so carpooling is a good idea. The centre is located at 2065 Bulger Road near Lake Dore.
