TRAVEL

Meteor Madness: See the Perseids at Lost Dutchman park

Scott Craven
The Republic | azcentral.com
A meteor can be seen behind a saguaro cactus near the First Water Trail in a 30 second exposure on Aug. 13, 2010.

One of the year’s best meteor showers, the Perseids, will light up the sky Aug. 11-14 and one of the best places to watch it is a short drive away.

Steve Kates, aka Dr. Sky, will present Meteor Madness on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction.

City dwellers may see a few meteors an hour from their backyard. But Kates extols the advantages of getting away from the urban core.

“Arizona is known for its deep, dark skies,” Kates said. “You can live in Phoenix or Tucson and still be just an hour or so from a great spot to see the stars.”

Lost Dutchman is a great viewing spot not only because it’s away from the Valley’s light pollution, Kates said. The view of the Superstition Mountains, even in silhouette, is a beautiful backdrop on a night when visitors are likely to see as many as 80 meteors an hour.

“This is shaping up to be a good year,” Kates said. “We may get up to 100 an hour when it peaks Wednesday. But even if we see only 30 or 40, I’ll be ecstatic.”

Thank the Swift-Tuttle comet for a fireworks show that even Disneyland could never reproduce. Cosmic ice balls traveling at 130,000 mph tend to shed a lot of debris, Kates said, and Earth rolls through Swift-Tuttle’s tailings every August.

The process of incineration is never more beautiful than during meteor showers, Kates said. Objects ranging in size from grains of sand to watermelons hit the atmosphere about 70 miles above the Earth, vaporizing in a streak of fire and sparks.

The Perseids shower should start to peak at about 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Meteor Madness starts at 8 p.m. with music, food vendors and a beer grotto staffed by local breweries. (Moderation is encouraged because too many brews can spoil the view, especially if the world starts spinning.)

Kates will lead a star talk at 9:30 p.m., and at 11 p.m. visitors should be reclined in lawn chairs looking skyward until dawn.

There’s only one thing that could bring the curtain down.

“Cloud cover can ruin everything,” Kates said. “I’m hoping the monsoon is a non-soon.”

Meteor Madness with Dr. Sky

What: Steve Kates (Dr. Sky) hosts a viewing of the annual Perseids meteor shower. Bring a lawn chair. Event benefits Friends of Lost Dutchman State Park.

When: 8 p.m.-dawn. Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Where: Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction.

Admission: $15, includes park admission and beer grotto. Food is available for an extra charge. One child 17 or younger is admitted free with each paying adult. Camping also is available; see the website for details.

Details: 480-748-8019, www.meteormadness.eventbrite.com.