The Perseids meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the outskirts of a cloud of debris from comet Swift-Tuttle. The dust and bits of rock left behind are called meteoroids. As they enter the Earth's atmosphere they disintegrate with the larger pieces producing bright streams - meteors - that you can see with the unaided eye before they fade away. These bright streams are also known as shooting stars and can be seen from 14th July until 1st September. The peak of the shower is actually on the night of the 12th and the pre-dawn hours of the 13th August when you may see up to 60-80 shooting stars per hour.
PLEASE NOTE: Gates open at 7.00pm and there will be a talk at 8.45pm by a guest speaker. All the exhibits will be available for you to explore when you arrive. While you don't need to arrive at 7.00pm the gates will be closed at 8pm so please arrive before then.
Itinerary for the evening:
7.00pm: gates open (please arrive before 8pm). You will be issued with a coloured itineray and map.
7.00pm - 8.30pm: Food served from the Launch Box; drinks/snacks including a bar served from the cafe; time to explore the exhibits and the exhibitions. Astronomers will be based in the domes and while it will be too light to see anything through the telescopes you can go along and have a chat to them (bear in mind you will be going into the domes following the talk. Viewing is subject to weather).
8.45pm - 9.45pm: Talk
10.00pm - 12.30am: Groups will be taken to each area for viewing (weather permitting).
12.30am: Centre closes
If you wish to purchase hot food on the night then our Launch Box will be open from 7.00pm - 8.30pm before the talk starts.
The Launch Box serves:
Burger & Fries
Cheeseburger & Fries
Falafel Burger & Fries
Frankfurter Hot Dog & Fries
The cafe will also be open for hot/cold drinks and snacks plus alcoholic beverages.
Following the talk, if the weather is nice and clear you will have the opportunity to try and spot some fast moving meteors with the unaided eye and look through the telescopes at other interesting celestial objects.
If the weather is unsuitable for viewing, the talk will go ahead regardless and a comprehensive tour of the telescopes will replace viewing. On the tour you will be taken into domes not open to the public during the day. We do NOT cancel this event if the weather is unsuitable for viewing.
Numbers are limited to 100 (age 18+ only), so book early to secure your place.
The evening aims to be both informal and informative.
Booking essential
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