Despite a cloudy night and an obscured vision of the Perseid meteor shower, 182 people showed up to tour the observatory and look up at the night sky on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
Another opportunity was scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13. Entry is by donation, at $2 for individuals and $5 for families. Blankets and lawn chairs are recommended.
On Tuesday, a crowd gathered in front of the observatory to watch the sky. Many went on a tour of the Prince George Astronomical Observatory and its 24-inch telescope.
Guests also took in a presentation given by Prince George Astronomical Society president Malhar R. Kendurkar, overviewing the origin of the Perseid Meteor shower and Comet Swift–Tuttle, which is responsible for the shower and the colours, sizes and identifications of various comets
Kendurkar noted that on a clear, cloudless night without light from the moon, approximately 60 to 90 meteors can be seen per hour; however, he did note that light from the moon can reduce that number by 25 per cent.
Kendurkar and observatory volunteers joked that the first night always brings clouds; however, they were happy to bring a unique experience to those in Prince George despite the circumstances.
“It's very good, it's not just experiencing and looking at the Perseid Meteor shower, but it's for the entire community, that's why the Prince George Observatory is happy to be a part of this community,” said Kendurkar. “We love hosting these special events and our, regular open house events, which go from September to the end of November, so everyone can be part of that and they can volunteer or be able they can even become a member of Prince George Centre and they can even use any of the telescopes with proper training as well.”
He added that after tonight's viewing, the observatory will shut down to the public until September; however, he is hoping to bring another unique event to the community sometime shortly.
“I am hoping to organize at least one event before our September 5th open house event, during which we will be observing the sun using a hydrogen alpha telescope,” said Kendurkar. “It is a different specific kind of telescope at a hydrogen alpha wavelength that gives you a prominence on the surface of the sun so you can see the solar flares. That will be during the day so we also offer astronomy not just at night but also during the day.”
Observatory volunteers were also on site, helping crowds and sharing their passion and knowledge of astronomy with visitors.
Rebecca Althammer, a volunteer for the Prince George Astronomical Observatory for the past three years, spoke with The Citizen.
“I hope they walk away with an interest in space and sort of a new appreciation for what astronomy can bring to a community, said Althammer. “What astronomy can be personally, what dark skies can be. It's important in the city, we have all of this light pollution that really hampers our ability to see the dark night sky, whereas out here, there's still a little bit of sky glow from the north. You'll be able to see it once it gets dark but we get to enjoy much darker skies and it opens up a whole new world of stars and constellations and northern lights and a bunch of interesting things.”
She also added what she thinks the observatory brings to the people of Prince George.
“I think it's a valuable space for the community of Prince George to come together and focus on sort of the love of space,” said Althammer. “The love of outdoors, of science, of learning new things and interacting together as a community. Right now, behind us, I can see kids running around and people interacting and chatting and really coming together in a space that is open to everyone."
If you are planning on viewing the Perseids meteor shower Wednesday evening, forecasts call for much better weather for viewing.
Forecasts predict that Wednesday will have a high of 20 C and will be partly cloudy with a 30 perc ent chance of showers early in the evening and a risk of a thunderstorm. However, clouds are expected to clear by evening.
Kendurkar told The Citizen that he is expecting a bigger turnout Wednesday evening and a much better view.
"Last night, it was kind of disappointing, but it is what it is with the clouds," said Kendurkjar. "People didn't unfortunately, get to see any objects, but tonight they will be able to see some objects guaranteed."
The observatory, located at 7365 Tedford Rd., will open at 8:30 p.m. to guests and entry is available upon a donation $2 for individuals and $5 for families.
