Timmins residents will be in for an astronomical show over the weekend if the weather cooperates.
The Perseid meteor shower started in July, but it will peak between Aug 11 and 12, with over 100 shooting stars per hour, said Timmins Science president Antoine Garwah.
“If you’re facing northeast at about an angle of 60 degrees, you should be able to see the meteors,” he said.
The meteor shower is an annual event that happens as the Earth moves through the tail of a comet, and the debris hits the atmosphere and burns up.
“It’s like clockwork,” said Garwah.
He said the best places to set up to witness the meteor shower are open, flat areas like bodies of water or on a hill. The most spectacular time to check the skies out will be between midnight and 3 a.m.
“If you go down Dalton Road or by Three Nation Lake, it’s wide open, and it’s a good place to see,” he said. “Any place where it’s open and away from light, with no clouds and no rain, that is the best place to be.”
This year, the moon's phase will be less challenging than it can be, according to Garwah.
“A full moon can really affect observation, but we’re lucky this year because it’s a half moon,” said Garwah.
The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies overnight on Sunday, going into Monday, but he said he’s still hopeful.
“Fingers crossed, anything to do with the sky, I keep my fingers crossed,” said Garwah. “Get a chair, maybe a blanket, a hot coffee, and make it a social event.”
