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Okanagan Valley has best view of celestial light show

White Lake Observatory south of Penticton is inviting the public to watch the Perseid meteor shower.
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Astronomer Ken Tapping is one of the officials at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Kaleden who will help the public watch the annual Perseid meteor shower. —Image credit: Mark Brett/Penticton Western News

The public is invited to head down to the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Kaleden next weekend to take in unobstructed views of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.

This evening promises to be spectacular as it’s common to see 80 meteors an hour during the annual celestial event.

Astronomers Ken Tapping, Roland Kothes, Tom Landecker, Chris Purton and Ryan Ransom will guide observations with enlightening talks and the Royal Astronomical Society will reveal the splendors of the night sky with their telescopes.

For comfortable sky-gazing, a blanket or lawn chair and warm clothing is recommended.

Should inclement weather (i.e. clouds, smoke) alter the quality of the meteor and telescope viewing, the grounds will still be open and the talks will still be presented.

The event will go Saturday, Aug. 12, from 7:15 p.m., with the talks starting at 8 p.m. and running to 9:30 p.m.

Optimal viewing of the meteor shower will be from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. say observatory officials.

The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory is located at 717 White Lake Road in Kaleden, 16 kilometres south of Penticton.