LEWISTON, Idaho – Ranger Kevin Peters of the Nez Perce National Historical Park and Professor Emeritus Victor Kriss of Lewis-Clark State College’s Division of Natural Science and Mathematics will host a Perseid meteor shower observing event Wednesday night, Aug. 12, at the Nez Perce National Historical Park in Spalding, Idaho.
The event is free and open to the public and will begin at 8 p.m. at the visitor center with Kriss providing information about the Perseid meteor shower and its origin and Peters speaking on the influence of stars in the Nez Perce culture. As the sky darkens, everyone will be invited outside to view the shooting stars. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and to dress warm.
The best viewing of the meteor shower will be around midnight, but, without a bright moon to interfere, there is expected to be good meteor watching as soon as it gets dark. As the night progresses, an average of a shooting star every five minutes should be visible.
If you can’t make it to the event, Kriss, who retired from LCSC in 2013 after 21 years of teaching, says that all one needs to do to view the meteors is to find a dark location away from streetlights and just look up.
For more information contact Peters at 208-843-7025.