By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Anyone still around in the year 2126 will catch a great view of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Those unable to make it that long will have to settle for another Perseid meteor show. As it turns out, the best days for viewing the shooting stars this year fall on a Friday and Saturday. Kansas Wetlands Education Center Director Curtis Wolf is ready to help bring the summer to a close with its "Out of this World" Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party that kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
"It's turned into one of our big annual events - a great end-of-summer family opportunity to come out before school starts, spend an evening at the center doing various activities, and the main feature is just sitting out under the stars and looking for the meteors that come across the sky."
Comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered by Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle in 1862, completes its orbit every 133 years. Given the comet's 16-mile nuclear diameter, maximum speed of up to 26 miles a second, and its proximity to Earth every 133 years, it has been described as the "single most dangerous object known to humanity." It will not be close to Earth again until 2126, but each year it does make for a fantastic show of nature in the sky.
"Basically, it's Earth's orbit is going through the debris from a comet," Wolf said. "As those particles hit the atmosphere they burn up and create those nice little shooting stars."
Up to 60-100 visible meteors per hour are anticipated at KWEC's Watch Party. The free event will include the inflatable planetarium, a craft, and some experiments indoors. A fire pit and S'mores will be waiting outdoors. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for the party.