{"id":19288,"date":"2016-08-13T00:53:17","date_gmt":"2016-08-12T16:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/relive-the-peak-night-for-the-perseid-meteor-shower-and-catch-an-encore\/"},"modified":"2016-08-13T00:53:17","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T16:53:17","slug":"relive-the-peak-night-for-the-perseid-meteor-shower-and-catch-an-encore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/relive-the-peak-night-for-the-perseid-meteor-shower-and-catch-an-encore\/","title":{"rendered":"Relive the peak night for the Perseid meteor shower \u2013 and catch an encore"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo
A Perseid meteor flashes above Mount Rainier. (GeekWire photo by Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crowds of skywatchers turned the peak of the Perseid meteor shower into a mass spectator event overnight \u2013 and you can catch an encore presentation this weekend, if you know where to go.<\/p>\n

For me, last night\u2019s arena was Rattlesnake Lake, about 35 miles east of Seattle. Cars were lined up for miles along the blacktop leading off from Interstate 90\u2019s Exit 34, even though it was 1 o\u2019clock in the morning.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just about the time the moon set, leaving the stage of the clear, black sky open for the meteor performance. My stargazing friend and I settled in right at the lake\u2019s edge, along with hundreds of other people scattered in the darkness. We saw roughly one meteor a minute: Sometimes they came in bunches. Sometimes we just waited and stared. And sometimes we\u2019d miss a flash, only to hear the \u201coooh\u201d rising up from the surrounding crowd of skywatchers.<\/p>\n

Snoqualmie Point Park was another hotspot: We faced a similar lineup of cars (and a traffic jam) on the road heading south from I-90\u2019s Exit 27.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, GeekWire photographer Kevin Lisota spent the night at Mount Rainier National Park. \u201cThere was a big group at Paradise for a viewing party, and the shores of Reflection Lakes were lined with photographers,\u201d he reported. \u201cWe could also see the flashlights of the teams summiting Rainier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Mount Rainier and star trails are mirrored in Reflection Lakes. (Photo by Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Perseid
Meteors flash with the Milky Way as a backdrop. (GeekWire photo by Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Photo
A greenish meteor looks as if it\u2019s plowing into Rainier\u2019s summit. (GeekWire photo by Kevin Lisota)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best viewing was out in the country, far away from city lights. Going east from Seattle, Artist Point, Ira Spring Trailhead, Tiger Mountain State Forest and Little Kachess Lake are among the favorites. Seattle Astronomy\u2019s Greg Scheiderer touts Lake Cushman, Lake Ozette and Hurricane Ridge on the Olympic Peninsula. Check out the Clear Sky Chart for viewing conditions.<\/p>\n

Seattle also has some nice vantage points, including Green Lake Park, Magnuson Park and West Seattle\u2019s Alki Beach and Hamilton Viewpoint Park. The National Weather Service captured some quick flashes on a time-lapse video recorded from the roof of its office building in Magnuson Park.<\/p>\n

Viewing guide: Top five places for Seattle skywatchers to see the meteor show<\/h4>\n

You can even check out the show from your back yard, as long as the glare of streetlights doesn\u2019t get too bright. GeekWire co-founder John Cook and his 6-year-old son, Jack, saw half a dozen meteors over the course of 20 minutes while they sat in their lounge chairs at 2:45 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the meteors,\u201d Jack said afterward. \u201cI liked the big yellow one that had the fireball around it. I liked the orange one, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Although last night marked the peak of the annual Perseids, the meteor show should still be pretty good tonight and Saturday night \u2013 and there\u2019s a big advantage to weekend meteor-watching: Most of us can sleep in on the morning after.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the postings from last night\u2019s meteor watch in the Seattle area:<\/p>\n