Cloudy skies could disrupt meteor shower party tonight
Cloudy skies could disrupt the peak viewing hours for the Delta Aquarid meteor shower tonight. The annual meteor shower promises up to 15 to 20 meteors per hour in the southern sky, which are best viewed after midnight when the waxing gibbous moon sets.
Custer Institute in Southold is planning a meteor shower party tonight beginning at 8 p.m., featuring “Music For Meteors,” an outdoor presentation by Chris Peters from his music-equipped van.
There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children. Members are free. For more information, call 765-2626.
If you can’t make it to Custer Saturday night, the shower continues through early August. Best viewing hours tend to be between moonset and dawn.
On the weekend of Aug 11 and 12, the reliable Perseid meteor shower will once again return, promising as many as 50 meteors per hour at peak hours. The best viewing hours for the Perseids this year will also be after midnight. The small waning crescent moon that week, which rises around midnight, is not expected by astronomers to interfere with viewing the Perseids.
Custer Institute will hold its Perseid meteor shower party on Sat., Aug. 11.
