Meteor Shower Star Party at Mueller State Park

NOTE Park entry fees apply: $10 per vehicle or free with State Park Pass.

Join the members of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society at the Mueller State Park on Friday August 1th from 9pm to midnight, for a meteor watch party of the Perseids and stunning views of truly dark night skies! The milky way will be visible with the naked eye.

The Perseid Meteor Shower creates a fantastic opportunity to view meteors (aka Shooting Stars)! Bring out the whole family with chairs, blankets & pillows, and some snacks to sit comfortably with us and watch the skies and enjoy the show!

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year. Skies should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Our CSASTRO members will be bringing out our telescopes for free public viewing of planets, stars and nebula. Listen to a laser guided presentation about the night sky above us and hear some of the stories that cultures have told about the stars for thousands of years.

PARKING INSTRUCTIONS: https://csastro.org/events-calendar/event/mueller-state-park-dark-sky-star-party-friday-august-11th-830-1030-pm/

Telescopes and seating areas will be set up at the Visitor Center Parking lot, with limited parking spots. There are 5 additional parking areas that are within easy walking distance to the visitor center. Handicap parking available at the Visitor Center. Red lights will light the path to the visitor center from all parking areas.

*Notes for visitors:

• This is a state park event so state park entry fees apply ($10 per vehicle, or free entry with State Park Pass)

• Visitor Center and restrooms will be open during the event.

• Please refrain from bringing any white-light lanterns or flashlights as they will ruin your dark-adapted night vision and those around you. Red lights are always welcome! Red glow sticks will be available for purchase.

• We love pets, but please do not bring any animals to this event. Only service dogs are allowed.

• As views of the stars are dependent upon weather conditions, please watch this post and our Facebook or Instagram postings for updates, changes or cancellations due to weather.

• And most importantly, this is at 9,000 feet in elevation in the mountains so please bring bug spray and cold weather clothing (pants, sweatshirts, winter coat, hat). Believe us, if you show up in shorts & a T-shirt you won’t have much fun after sunset even if it is 90 degrees in Colorado Springs! We recommend dressing for at least 20 degrees colder than what the nightly low temperature forecast predicts.

This event is free and open to the public.