Delta Aquarid, Perseid Meteors: How to See Them In Michigan

For many of us, the summer meteor showers — the Delta Aquarids start this week and the glorious Perseids get started soon after — are as anticipated as some of the major holidays. For us, there’s nothing like sitting outside on a warm summer night and watching fireballs streak across the sky. But whether you’ll be able to see the cosmic shows in Michigan depends on the weather forecast.

Think of the Delta Aquarids, which run now through Aug. 23 and peak July 27-28, the dress rehearsal for the more reliable Perseids. That typically prolific meteor shower runs July 17-Aug. 24, peaking overnight on Aug. 12-13.

What that means — goody! goody! — is that you may see meteors any time you look up in the night sky over Michigan any time in the next six weeks. Here’s your guide to stargazing in Michigan.

About the show in the sky

The Delta Aquarid meteor shower, produced by debris left behind by the comets Marsden and Kracht, is an average show, producing about 20 meteors an hour at its peak. There’s a bit of bad news — a nearly full moon at the peak will blot out the dimmest of the shooting stars — but there’s some good news, too: Meteors from the slow-moving shower will still be flying when the Perseid meteor shower begins, so you should be able to see meteors flying from opposite directions.

The Perseids, which are typically rich in fireballs that create long, dramatic streaks in the sky, promise to be worth the wait this year. At the shower’s peak, a thin sliver will be all that is visible of a crescent moon and meteors should fly at a rate of 60 to up to 100 hour.

In “outburst” years, such as 2016, the intensity can reach 200 meteors an hour.
NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke doesn’t expect an outburst this year, but said the Perseids will still be the best meteor shower of 2018.

“This year the moon will be near new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will set before the Perseid show gets underway after midnight,” Cooke told Space.com. “The moon is very favorable for the Perseids this year, and that'll make the Perseids probably the best shower of 2018 for people who want to go out and view it.”

The historically bright Perseids are produced by the comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862. The meteors fall between the constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia, but just look up and you should be able to see them anywhere in the sky.

With both meteor showers, the best viewing times are after midnight toward the pre-dawn hours, but you might be able to see a few as soon as it’s dark. Dark skies away from light pollution offer the best viewing conditions, but there are some good places to see meteors in big cities, too.

Dark Sky Preserves in Michigan

Dark Sky Preserves are protected against light pollution and are ideal locations for stargazing. Michigan is home to state-designated Dark Sky Preserves located within six state parks. There also are plenty of excellent night-sky viewing opportunities across more than 15,000 square miles in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Headlands Dark Sky Park (Emmet County park) is the only internationally designated Dark Sky Park in the state and offers additional opportunities for viewing the night sky.

Dark Sky Preserves are located in the following state parks:

• Lake Hudson Recreation Area
• Negwegon State Park
• Port Crescent State Park
• Rockport Recreation Area
• Thompson's Harbor State Park
• Wilderness State Park

Michiganders can catch magnificent views of the Perseid meteor shower during "Meteors & S'mores" in participating parks Aug. 9-13, 2018.

Bring blankets, seating, bug spray and snacks and enjoy a night of stargazing – campers and visitors are all welcome! Complimentary s’mores and campfires are part of the celebration. Designated viewing areas and viewing times will be specified at each park.

Visit www.midnrreservations.com or call 1-800-44PARKS to make a reservation.

What you need to know for the best viewing

Here are more tips for meteor watching from NASA:

• Take along something comfortable to sit or lie down on, such as a reclining chair or a yoga mat so you can see most of the sky.
• Be patient. Under ideal conditions, you should be able to see one meteor within half an hour or so.
• Leave the binoculars and telescopes at home. They’ll rob you of the best views. Meteors are stunning without them, and using binoculars or telescopes will limit the amount of sky you’re able to see and increase the chances you’ll see nothing but dark skies.
• Avoid looking at your cellphone or anything else that produces light. If you need to see something, use a red light. Some flashlights have interchangeable filters; if yours doesn’t, you can always paint the clear filter with red fingernail polish.

Photo: NASA / Bill Ingalls

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