Cape Cod National Seashore Hosting “Star Party”

WELLFLEET – The Cape Cod National Seashore will be hosting a free Perseid “Star Party” at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet Saturday night.

The celestial celebration coincides with the Perseid meteor shower from 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM and will offer attendees a great view of the action with commentary from national seashore rangers.

Earth will pass through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17th to August 24th. It will move through the comet’s densest, dustiest path on August 12th, maximizing the number of meteors that may be viewed if skies are clear.

During meteor showers, pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere, burning up in bursts of light and causing a streak across the night sky.

The sparse development and limited light pollution in the national seashore area of Marconi Beach in Wellfleet make it one of the best locations on Cape Cod to view dark night skies.

The free “star party” will include viewing with telescopes from the Marconi Beach parking lot, with discussion of the science behind the celestial spectacle, and stories about the role of astronomy in human history.

Participants should feel free to bring a chair if they wish to observe the night sky from the parking lot, or join a ranger for a short beach walk. 

The free Star Party will take place Saturday from 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, those of all ages are welcome to take part. In the event of rain, the program will be cancelled.

By DAVID BEATTY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

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