The Quad Cities Astronomical Society and the Pleasant Valley High School Astronomy Club will co-host a meteor shower viewing party at the high school at 604 Belmont Road in Bettendorf on Saturday, August 12.
The viewing party will begin at dusk, approximately 8:30 p.m., and will be held on the high school’s lower west parking lot. Please enter by the parking lot on the west side of the school.
During the viewing party, “shooting stars” originating from the annual Perseid meteor shower should be visible. Though the number is impossible to predict, as many as 80 meteors or more per hour could flash across the sky at the peak, which usually occurs shortly after midnight.
Telescopes will be set up on the lower parking lot, so those attending will also have an opportunity to use the telescopes to view objects such as the planets Jupiter and Saturn, double stars, star clusters, and nebulas. A member of the Quad Cities Astronomical Society will also be on hand to present information and answer questions about the meteor shower and visible constellations.
Those who attend are advised to bring lawn chairs and insect repellent, and to dress for the weather. The event will be cancelled if the weather is cloudy or rainy.
Updates on the event will be posted to the Facebook page of the Quad Cities Astronomical Society, at https://m.facebook.com/groups/875283012489267?tsid=0.5326936397099782&source=result
