News Release

Through Online Events, White Sands National Park Celebrates the Perseid Meteor Shower Virtually

Date: August 6, 2020
Contact: Kelly Carroll, 575-479-6124 ext. 230

ALAMOGORDO, NM – Every August, we are treated to the largest and most active meteor shower of the year: the Perseid Meteor Shower. White Sands National Park invites you to join us as we celebrate the meteor shower through a series of online events.

Starting Saturday, August 8, a series of online social media posts will get you ready to watch the meteor shower on its peak night of August 12 from your local area.  Social media posts include what to look for and where to look in the sky.  The posts will include the latest version of Night Sky Bingo, a board game for the whole family to learn stargazing from your backyard.  Park Rangers will be virtually available on White Sands' Instagram channel (www.instagram.com/whitesandsnps) during the peak night, Wednesday, August 12, from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm MDT to chat and share your experience watching the meteor shower.

All social media posts can be seen on the park's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WhiteSandsNP) and Instagram site (www.instagram.com/whitesandsnps).

The Perseid meteor shower is the most active meteor shower of the year, with an average of 40-50 meteors per hour.  The peak of the meteor shower is the night of Wednesday, August 12, and the morning of Thursday, August 13.

White Sands National Park is America's newest national park and protects and preserves the world's largest gypsum dune field, as well as many additional natural, cultural, and historical treasures.
    
www.nps.gov/whsa
 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.