Iowa City Astronomy Club

Perseid Meteors around August 12th!

The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the most reliable, peaks every year around August 12. This year, the best nights for viewing should be on Wednesday and Thursday, the 11th and 12th. The moon, a thin crescent, will set soon after twilight ends, leaving a dark sky for watching shooting stars.
The Perseids typically produce meteor rates of 60 or more per hour under dark skies. To see a meteor shower at its best, observe from a rural site away from city lights. If you miss the peak, you should still see some meteors on the couple of evenings before and after.

August 9, 2010 - Meeting at the Iowa City Public Library, 7PM

Meetings are held on the second Monday of every month, at the Iowa City Public Library, starting at 7PM. Check the meetings list near the library entrance to see which room the meeting is in (it varies month to month).

August’s program has yet to be decided, but programs often consist of a slide presentation or astronomy video.

Meetings are open to any and all. Please contact us (see the CONTACT tab) with any suggestions for a future program.

August 7, 2010 - Observing Session at Sokum Ridge Park at 10:00 PM

The August observing session will be held at Sokum Ridge Park again, about five miles south of Washington. This is a county park out in the country, and the sky there is quite dark.

If you need directions to the park, zoom out on the map below. The club will be meeting right by the road as shown:

View Sockum Ridge Recreation Area in a larger map

Observing sessions are held weather permitting. If it is overcast, the session will not be held (check the ClearDarkSky link to the right). About half of the ICAC’s sessions have been cancelled in the past, but let’s hope for clear skies! As with monthly meetings, absolutely anyone is welcome to attend observing sessions.