You Can Stay At The Botanical Garden Until 1 a.m. To Watch A Meteor Shower Next Week
One of the most anticipated parts of the summer is definitely the Perseids. Montrealers wait all year for this incredible spectacle and the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is helping you make the most of the annual astronomic phenomenon with an observation event being held in the Botanical Garden.
For those wondering what a meteor shower is, according to NASA, "a meteor is a space rock—or meteoroid—that enters Earth's atmosphere.
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"As the space rock falls toward Earth, the resistance—or drag—of the air on the rock makes it extremely hot. What we see is a 'shooting star.' That bright streak is not actually the rock, but rather the glowing hot air as the hot rock zips through the atmosphere."
Isn't that cool?
The Perseids is one of the most well-known meteor showers throughout the year and is particularly visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
This year's shower will likely be the most visible August 11 - 13 and the event will be on August 11 and 12 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Tickets go on sale on August 10 with limited numbers, and could be cancelled in the event of rain.
The Garden is a great choice for viewing the Perseids because they're in the middle of the city and have less light pollution than other parts of the island.
Throughout the event, experts from the planetarium will be watching, too, helping you to count meteors and share some facts and tips about stargazing.
Other activities include music and storytelling (in French) to help add to the festivities.
Before you go, there are lots of great resources and tools to help you get the most out of this year's Perseids, like learning more about the shower and more about astronomy, in general.
The planetarium encourages people to bring everything that they need for a comfortable evening, including warm clothing, a blanket to sit on and a reminder to bring a face mask to use the indoor washroom.
Happy Perseids 2020!
Watching The Perseids At The Botanical Garden
When: August 11 & 12; 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Address: Montreal Botanical Garden – 4101, rue Sherbrooke E., Montreal, QC
Why You Need To Go: To see the most spectacular meteor shower right here in the city
This cover photo was used for illustrative purposes only.