Perseid Meteor Shower

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC), located northeast of Great Bend on K-156 HWY, is gearing up for its annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party. The public is invited to join the KWEC staff for this free, family-friendly activity. Each year, as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center celebrates the end of summer with our guests by watching the meteors or shooting stars as they burn in our atmosphere. This year, our event will take place on Tuesday, August 12, from 8:30-10:30pm. This coincides with the peak of the shower. Stargazers may be able to spot 60-100 meteors per hour. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for comfortable sky-watching on the KWEC lawn. Be sure to stop by the fire pit to enjoy a s'more! This event will occur regardless of weather conditions. Guests at the meteor shower watch party can also participate in several space-themed learning stations inside KWEC; magnetic meteor hunt, build a spectroscope, participate in a space lander STEM challenge, create an asteroid belt art project, and use a blender bike to make a galaxy smoothie. Planetarium shows will also be offered in the inflatable planetarium. Real meteorites will be on loan from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.