Community Corner

Best Place and Time to View Perseids Meteor Shower in Johnston

Of all the meteor showers way, way out there, the Perseids is a real star. Here's where to watch this weekend in Johnston.

With only partly cloudy skies forecast over Johnston, according to The Weather Channel, we should be able to get a good view of the Perseids meteor shower, which is set to peak this weekend.

The forecast for Friday and Saturday nights is for partly cloudy skies with overnight low temperatures around 60 degrees, says the National Weather Service. On Sunday night there's a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms.

The best place to see the Perseids meteor shower in Johnston might be:
  • Gather some friends and head to the parking lot at Johnston Evangelical Free Church, 9901 N.W. 62nd Ave. It's on a high spot, and doesn't have a lot of close neighbors to add glare.
  • Head to the track and field at Johnston High School. It's a nice dark spot for stargazing.
  • Kick your feet up in your own backyard if you have a clear view of the moon.
As always, check for posted hours of public places before setting up shop.

AThe Perseids are a meteor shower visible when the Earth passes through the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The meteor shower has been visible for about 2,000 years. The Swift-Tuttle comet orbits once every 133 years, according to NASA.

“The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing opportunities will be across the northern hemisphere,” according to a 2011 NASA release. “Those with sharp eyes will see that the meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus.”

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Viewing Tips

At its peak, the Perseids meteor shower could display up to 40 meteors per hour in the pre-dawn hours Sunday. The American Meteor Society recommends viewing this meteor shower between midnight and dawn Saturday and Sunday.

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Space.com has these tips and more:

• Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too.

• Be patient. It may take your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the light and see the meteors.

• You don’t need binoculars or a telescope—that will only limit the amount of sky you can see.

Where do you watch in Johnston? Tell us in the comments below.


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