ACCOMACK CO., Va. – The NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center and its partner, the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation, will host their final Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series on Assateague Island National Seashore Saturday, August 11.
The final installation of this summer’s series will coincide with 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 and streaking a path across the night sky.”
The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will run until 10:00 p.m. In addition to observing the meteor shower, attendees will be able to see Astronomy 101 presentations at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge’s auditorium and use telescopes provided by the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation to observe Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.
Attendance is free, and auditorium presentations will occur regardless of weather.
For more information on the event, click here.
