The Town of Fountain Hills, along with Night Sky Tourist Star Dudes and the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association, have announced a meteor shower watch party for the upcoming Geminids meteor shower on the evening of Dec. 13 at Four Peaks Park (14789-14827 N. Del Cambre Ave).
From 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Four Peaks Park soccer field, guests will be treated to an evening of stargazing as the Geminids, a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3,200 Phaethon thought to be an Apollo asteroid with a "rock comet" orbit, streak across the night sky.
"The Geminids are considered one of the best annual meteor showers for us humans to see," said Vicky Derksen, founder of Night Sky Tourist, in a press release. "While the near-full moon will wash out some of the meteors, stargazers should see a handful of them zip across the night sky."
To learn more about what the Geminids are, where they come from and what happens if they don't burn up in the atmosphere, NASA Solar System Ambassador Ted Blank will give a presentation on meteors. Derksen will share cultural views about meteors, and the Star Dudes will take guests deep into space with telescopes aimed at Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, and the Orion Nebula.
"Fountain Hills is extremely excited to partner with the Night Sky Tourist and Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association to offer more opportunities for residents and visitors to experience our dark skies," said Economic Development Director Amanda Jacobs.
To keep guests warm, the Swette Ice Cream Truck will be onsite with hot chocolate bombs and other treats, the release continued. Stargazers are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, warm layers to be comfortable during the cool night.
For more information about the Town of Fountain Hills visit FountainHillsAZ.gov and experiencefountainhills.org.