The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center and its partner the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation will host the final Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series on the Virginia end of Assateague Island National Seashore Saturday, Aug. 11, for the observation of the Perseid Meteor Shower.
“The Perseids meteor shower is created when the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the comet Swift–Tuttle, the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth,” said Kim Check, Visitor Center manager. “We encourage people to bring beach chairs and blankets to sit back and watch these pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere creating a burst of light, streaking a path across the night sky.”
The event will begin with Astronomy 101 presentations at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Herbert H. Bateman Education Center Auditorium at 7:30, 8, and 8:30 p.m. followed by night sky observations of the Perseid Meteor Shower and the Milky Way Galaxy at the north end of the beach parking lot #1 from 8:30 to 10 p.m. In addition to the featured meteor shower, participants can view Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn through high-powered telescopes provided by the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation.
The event is free and open to the public. The auditorium presentations will occur regardless of weather, however, the telescope viewing is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Park entrance fees apply.
This series is a collaboration between Assateague Island National Seashore, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, and NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center.
For more information about the event or the Visitor Center, call 757-824-1344 or visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter
Rebecca Hudson
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
757-824-1339
Rebecca.s.hudson@nasa.gov