Peak Display is Aug. 12
Rockville will keep Welsh Park open overnight for community members to view the Perseid meteor shower, an astronomical event that thrills night-sky watchers annually. The shower is expected to begin overnight on Friday, Aug. 11 and continue through Aug. 13, and the park will remain open Friday and Saturday nights.
Visitors can park at the Rockville Swim and Fitness Center parking lot, 355 Martins Lane, and walk to adjacent Welsh Park, at the corner of Martins Lane and Mannakee Street, for the meteor viewing.
The peak time for the meteor shower is 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12. However, the night before, the predawn hours of Aug. 12, and the night following should be good times to see the show, according to Space.com. Sky watchers should be aware that light from a three-quarters-full moon may interfere with viewing.
“Rates will be about half what they would be normally, because of the bright moonlight,” NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. “Instead of 80 to 100, [there will be] 40 to 50 per hour. And that’s just because the moon’s going to wash out the fainter ones.”
Lights at the swim and fitness center’s parking lot will be turned off overnight so viewers can better see the astronomical display.
Learn more about the Perseid meteor showers and find tips on how to best view the event in urban areas at www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html.
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