7/23/24

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. - The Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) invites the public to join its staff for a free, family-friendly meteor shower watch party on Friday, Aug. 9, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. This annual event celebrates the end of summer as the Earth passes through the dust and debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, creating a spectacular display of meteors or “shooting stars” in the night sky.

Located northeast of Great Bend on K-156 Highway, the KWEC offers an ideal location for comfortable sky-watching. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to relax on the KWEC lawn while enjoying the celestial show.

In addition to meteor watching, the evening will feature s’mores making and eating and several space-themed learning stations inside the KWEC. Activities include making straw rockets, fizzing meteors, and creating a glow-in-the-dark comet. Planetarium shows will also be offered in the inflatable planetarium.

The event will proceed rain or shine, but clear skies are necessary for optimal meteor shower viewing.

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center, affiliated with FHSU’s Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend along Kansas Highway 156 at Cheyenne Bottoms, 592 NE K-156 Hwy., Great Bend, KS 67530.

For more information, visit wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu or call 1-877-243-9268.