You’ve been hearing a lot about the meteor shower that’s peaking tonight and tomorrow – and if you have been outside this week at night you’ve probably seen some Perseids action already. The warm nights and the slight sliver of a moon has already created a great viewing experience that feels like an extra privilege of living here in the hi-desert – casually catching a meteor shower in our backyards that some can only catch on Instagram.
Will we see the thousands of visitors we saw last year? Can our area handle these types of surges? The National Park is extra-prepared to accommodate visiting stargazers, and events around the hi-desert are hoping to grab some of the extra-traffic that the event is sure to bring. Tonight will be clear and warm, and despite the possibility of some extra traffic and busyness in the basin – tonight is going to be a great night to sit back and watch some falling stars.
But what exactly are we looking at up there? Stardust is a cute name and it’s not far off. Space debris is probably more accurate. Specifically – the meteors are dust and broken bits originating from the 109P / Swift-Tuttle comet. It was last here in 1992 and takes about 133 years to travel around the sun. The earth’s orbit takes us straight through the wake of the comet, and our atmosphere spectacularly lights up the miniscule bits of space matter for our viewing enjoyment.
What makes this meteor shower special – and extra popular – is the frequency of the meteors and the increased chance to see a fireball. The majority of the meteors you may see will probably resemble shooting stars – long streaks of single points of light in the sky. However, larger bits of “space junk” can take a little longer to burn up, leaving a brighter and more spectacular trail of light and flame behind them.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is an annual event, let’s hope last year was the Morongo Basin’s most notorious one.
With events all weekend (both terrestrial and celestial) the basin is bound to be busier. Take it easy today and kick back tonight in a dark spot to appreciate our place in space that allows us to see this one-of-a-kind show in the sky.
