Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday May 23, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

On this most awesome night of Public Stargazing at Frosty Drew Observatory a new meteor shower is coming to the skies over planet Earth. Hailing the name – May Camelopardalids, this shower may bring over of 200 meteors per hour with a small possibility of reaching storm conditions. Frosty Drew Observatory will be open for the entire night offering views of all the cosmos has to offer as meteors streak overhead in a stunning, first time display of the meteor shower that will rival the Perseids and Geminids and light up the night for all of us looking to the sky.

Debris left behind by Comet 209P LINEAR in the 19th century will intersect with Earth's orbit causing a fabulous display of shooting stars never seen on planet Earth before. Meteors will appear to originate in the sky from the faint constellation Camelopardalis, just West of the North Star. The predicted peak times are between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. EDT, though outbursts can happen at any time after sunset until sunrise. 209P LINEAR ejects larger particles than usual which could lead to extremely bright meteors known as “fireball meteors” entering Earth's atmosphere at significantly slower speeds than the average speed of Perseid meteors. This will result in bright, slow moving meteors streaking across the sky.

Starting at 6:00 p.m. we will open the Sky Theatre and Observatory with live views of the Sun, showcasing the photosphere and sunspots. Once the Sun sets, we will open the Observatory telescopes to the cosmos. With a target list including Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn we will rock the skies. Once the fabulous dark skies of Charlestown, Rhode Island become clearly visible we will point our telescopes towards the heart of the Virgo Galaxy Super Cluster observing hundreds of galaxies. As the midnight hour chimes we will direct the telescopes towards the center of the Milky Way galaxy to catch a glimpse of the astounding beauty that emanates from star clusters, nebulae, and dust lanes. Once 1:30 a.m. hits, we will close up the Observatory telescopes and make our way outside as we prepare to be captured in awe by potentially the best meteor shower of 2014.

Plan to kick off your Memorial Day weekend with Frosty Drew under the breathtaking starscape that covers Charlestown and experience the meteor storm of 2014 – The May Camelopardalids.

Be sure to subscribe to the Frost Drew Observatory mailing list or follow us on Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) to receive status updates about our public stargazing night.