June and July are months for breathtaking celestial events. Most recently, on June 20^th, there was the summer solstice, the first night of summer. This was the first time there has been a full moon on the summer solstice since June 1967 which was the “Summer of Love.” This summer solstice is also the Strawberry Moon due to its rosy hue and according to the Farmer’s Almanac it is also when strawberries are at their best point for harvesting.

In case you missed this celestial event, there is another one around July 28^th or July 29^th. Around these dates there will be a Meteor Shower. Meteors are cosmic debris that reach the Earth’s atmosphere, traveling at very high speeds. Once they reach the Earth’s atmosphere they appear as what we know to be shooting stars. Meteors are so small by the time they reach Earth’s atmosphere that they are the size of a grain of sand. Meteor showers are commonly named after the constellation from which that appear. This upcoming meteor shower is named "Delta Aquarid,” and is located in the constellation Aquarius. Aquarius is a zodiac constellation known as “the water bearer.” Aquarius rises in the spring in the Southern Hemisphere then falls into the northern hemisphere. This shower can be viewed in the Northern hemisphere. The center of this shower will be at the star “Delta Aquarii” located in the Aquarius constellation, hence the name of the shower. The most shooting stars will be seen from the center point, at the star “Delta Aquarii.” Although you do not have to locate this particular star to enjoy the shower.

The best time to watch this shower is after midnight up until 2 am. On these nights there will be a waning crescent moon which should not interfere with the view of this shower. According to earthsky.org this shower should produce 10-20 meteors per hour within this time frame. The best view you can give yourself is away from light pollution from cities. So head to country, the forest, the mountains or the beach to enjoy nature’s finest light show.