COLUMBUS, OH -- Three Ohio State Parks are celebrating Mother Nature's annual nighttime fireworks show, the Perseid meteor shower, with special campouts and programs timed to coincide with the peak viewing weekend, August 9-12.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this year's best meteor viewing will be just before dawn on August 12, although excellent displays should be visible in the pre-dawn hours of August 10 and 11. The Perseid meteor shower appears each year in mid-August as the earth passes through debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Perseid meteors are some of the brightest that appear each year, with colorful, long-lasting trails that light up the late night sky. This year's shower promises to be especially good, with as many as 100 meteors per hour shooting out of the constellation Perseus in the northern sky in the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA.
Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County, Kelleys Island State Park in Ottawa County and Caesar Creek State Park in Warren County have scheduled activities the weekend of August 9-12 in order to help outdoor enthusiasts better appreciate the nightly show.
Hocking Hills State Park will hold a Star Seekers Shower Search at 8 p.m. on Friday, August 9 at Conkle's Hollow. Visitors are invited to bring a sleeping bag and spend the night under the stars looking for meteors, planets and comets. Call 740-385-6841 for information.
Kelleys Island State Park will host a Bonfire On The Beach, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on August 10. Visitors are invited to enjoy storytelling, skits, children's programs and a display of the Perseid over Lake Erie. Call 419-746-2546 for information.
Caesar Creek State Park will hold a Meteor Shower Campout from 7 p.m. to midnight on August 10. Tent camping will be free on the beach. Visitors are invited to watch the heavens and learn more about comets, shooting stars and constellations. Call 513-897-2437 for information.
For additional information on activities in Ohio State Parks, visit the ODNR website at Ohiodnr.com or call 1-800-BUCKEYE.