Enjoy your final display of dazzling stars this summer season.
The Aurigid Meteor Shower will be happening this week, and will make the night sky radiant. It’s estimated that you may be able to see up to 5 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak.
As expected, you will need a clear night sky to take it in, and that is likely to happen.
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Viewing The The Aurigid Meteor Shower
The showers will be active from August 28 to September 5, 2021. The meteors are expected to peak around August 31 and September 1.
The shower will not be visible before 9:40 p.m. PST each night, and it will remain active until 5:55 a.m. when dawn breaks. The shower’s peak will be close to the new moon, so moonlight won’t be casting much interference.
The Aurigid meteors occur at the radiant point in the constellation Auriga, above the horizon. The number of meteors increases as the radiant point climbs higher in the sky.
The city of Richmond seems to most optimally face towards the direction of the meteors.
Viewing Tips
- Find somewhere comfortable, and avoid bright lights as much as possible (including your phone).
- Give your, eyes some time to adjust to the dark—up to half an hour, so set-up to view earlier.
- The meteors will be quick, small streaks of light, so look up straight.
- Experts suggest watching from a reclined position (i.e. in a sleeping bag), to get a wide view of the sky.
The shower is expected to reach peak activity at around 8:00 p.m. PST on August 31, 2021, though it won’t be visible until 9:40 p.m. It may be a good idea to set-up that time.
For more local updates across Metro Vancouver, check out our News section.