Join us on the evening of 8/12 at 7:45pm for Stargazing with the Aldrich Society (inclement weather date - 8/19 at the same time). The evening will begin with an informational talk by members of the Aldrich Society. Then they will assist everyone in viewing the night sky through their high-powered telescopes. Bring your own telescope if you wish!
This will be an interesting an interesting day for sure- there will be no Moon, and a short view for Venus, but there will great views of the Milky Way and a partial solar eclipse (15%) going on in the afternoon (12:59-2:49pm) - viewers will need solar glasses to view!
Then, during the evening of August 12, 2026, skywatchers in Boylston can observe the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and classic summer constellations. Thanks to a New Moon, the skies will be completely dark, providing optimal conditions for both casual stargazing and astrophotography.
The Perseid Meteor Shower: Expect to see 50 to 100 "shooting stars" per hour, including bright fireballs that leave
glowing trails.
Best Perseid viewing time: The shower ramps up after 10:00 PM local time, but the highest rates will occur in the pre-dawn hours of
August 13 when the Perseus radiant point is highest.
The Summer Triangle: Look overhead to find the three brilliant stars that make up this asterism: Vega (in Lyra), Deneb
(in Cygnus), and Altair (in Aquila).
The Milky Way Core: On a moonless night, observers in darker areas of Boylston can spot the glowing, cloudy band of the
Milky Way stretching across the southern sky, centered toward the constellation Sagittarius.