KWEC Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center is gearing up for its annual “Out of this World” Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party. This year our date hits the peak of the month-long meteor shower with stargazers having the chance to spot up to 60-100 meteors per hour. However, the full Sturgeon Supermoon will also be at its peak, creating light pollution during our party. Regardless of night sky conditions, come out to the KWEC on Friday August 12 from 8:30-10:30pm. This free, family-friendly activity will concentrate on the science behind the recent space success of the James Webb Space Telescope. This successor to the Hubble telescope uses giant mirrors to make infrared observations. • Discover how this infrared energy works through a hands-on experiment • Walk through a life cycle of a massive star while you create a take home reminder of the process • Create your own spiral galaxy with a spin and paint machine • Build a solar-powered moon base welcome sign in a STEM challenge • Enjoy a view of the night sky and stories behind the constellations in the inflatable planetarium • Eat smore’s as you scan for meteors (bring lawn chairs and blankets for comfortable viewing) Each year as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center is ready to celebrate the end of summer as we watch the meteors or ‘shooting stars’ as they burn in our atmosphere. Kansas Wetlands Education Center, affiliated with Fort Hays State University’s Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend. More information about the KWEC can be found at www.wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu or by calling 1-877-243-9268.