Great Bend Post
Parties are generally reserved for the weekend. But Mother Nature makes her own schedule. The Kansas Wetlands Education Center northeast of Great Bend is hosting a Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party on Tuesday - yes, Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Star gaze away from city lights and look for shooting stars from the KWEC lawn. Bring a chair or blanket for comfort. Attendees can also see a real meteorite, on loan from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, and go on their own magnetic meteor hunt.
Viewers can also make a spectroscope to view the spectrum of light and use the Cottonwood K-State Research and Extension blender bike to make a galaxy smoothie. The Fort Hays State University Planetarium will also be on site, and attendees can design an asteroid belt masterpiece. As with many KWEC outside activities, s'mores will be available.
The event coincides with the peak of the Perseids. Each year, as Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, it may be possible to spot 60-100 meteors per hour. The watch party will go on regardless of weather conditions.