Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party for Lawrenceville Residents Next Week

Lawrenceville, NJ -- The Perseid Meteor Shower will peak soon, and Lawrenceville residents can watch the whole thing unfold live.

D&R Greenway Land Trust will hold its Perseid Meteor Shower Watch party on Thursday, August 11, 11:30 p.m., at St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township.

The Perseid Meteor Shower occurs every year in mid-July and early August when the Earth passes through the stream of debris called the “Perseid Cloud,” which consists of particles ejected by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

This year’s outburst is expected to produce between 150 and 200 meteors, twice the normal rate. Showers will peak on Aug. 12 and 13, but are active now through Aug. 26.

“This fun event has become a summer tradition for us,” D&R Greenway Vice President Jay Watson said. “St. Michaels Farm Preserve, at the edge of Hopewell Borough, is the perfect place to hold this event, with its 340 acres of beautiful fields, woods and nature trails and its important community history. One of the reasons we preserved this magnificent property was to keep it as an important place where families can enjoy nature and the outdoors. We are hoping for clear skies and a good show of meteors.”

Volunteers from Amateur Astronomers Association will set up telescopes to view the moon, Saturn, Mars and other night sky objects, and assist residents viewing the meteors as part of D&R’s watch party.

Residents are asked to arrive at or before 11:30 p.m. to avoid a stream of headlights that would interfere with residents’ ability to watch the showers. Most meteors are visible after midnight.

Pack as you would for watching fireworks—lounge chair, blanket or warm clothing, water, juice, snacks, bug spray. Flashlights should have red lenses to protect night vision. D&R Greenway staff who will provide these to those who need them when they arrive.

Anyone who has binoculars or a telescope is invited to bring them, but they are not required.

Park in the gravel lot on Princeton Avenue. Carpooling is highly recommended.

To RSVP, send a message to Rsvp@drgreenway.org, subject line “Perseids,” and include your contact information so you can be reached in the event of bad weather or poor viewing conditions.

For more information, call 609-924-4646 or visit www.drgreenway.org.

D&R Greenway Land Trust has been preserving and protecting natural lands, farmlands and open spaces throughout central and southern New Jersey for 27 years.

It has preserved close to 20,000 acres, an area 20 times the size of New York City’s Central Park, including 28 miles of trails open to the public.

Accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission, D&R Greenway’s mission is to preserve and care for land and inspire a conservation ethic, now and for the future.

The attached images were provided by D&R Greenway Land Trust