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The annual Perseid meteor shower is Aug. 12-14

Stargazing is fun, especially during the Perseids meteor shower, which peaks in mid-August. Not every location is a good spot to watch, however. With a little planning, you and your family can enjoy the stellar show.

For the best stargazing, you need to get away from outdoor lights, many of which block starlight through light pollution.

Cities create such a nighttime blaze across the United States that about 80 percent of the population never see the Milky Way, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

To escape that glow, travel at least 60 miles from a major city and find a campground or other spot with low light. Go to a field, lake area or somewhere with a horizon that’s not blocked by trees. Try to look on a clear, moonless night, as the moon tends to block starlight.

Take a star chart with you or download a star constellation app on a cellphone. Remember that stars twinkle, planets don’t, and if the object moves across the sky, it’s probably a satellite. If it leaves a streak, it’s a meteor.

There are parts of the world officially noted as great places to view meteors, stars such as the Betelgeuse, and star groups such as the Big Dipper. The International Dark Sky Association in Arizona classifies them as Dark Sky Reserves and Dark Sky Parks. Reserves consist of a large, dark core area ringed by cities or towns that have strict light pollution controls. There are 16 reserves in the world, one of which is the 1,416-square-mile Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. It may have the clearest skies in the lower 48 states.

Dark Sky Parks, which are usually much smaller than reserves, can be found in dozens of other places. These areas have dark-sky programs for visitors and outdoor lighting that doesn’t cause light pollution.

Although the bulk of them are in the western United States, eastern locales include Cherry Springs State Park in Susquehannock State Forest in Pennsylvania; James River State Park near Lynchburg, Virginia; Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in central Florida; and Rappahannock County Park near Washington, Virginia.

Other spots with clear skies include the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, where visitors can walk the grounds and see some of the world’s largest radio telescopes. Self-guided tours are free; guided bus tours are provided at a fee and require visitors to be vaccinated.

Many cities are working to reduce light pollution. In Idaho, where dark skies are a major draw for tourists, cities have “dark sky ordinances,” laws that require light fixtures that direct light to the ground rather than toward the sky. They also require that outdoor lights be “warmer” colors on the lower part of the color spectrum instead of much brighter blue-hued lights, such as those in some car LED headlights. Not only do these “blue” lights block out the stars, they also disturb animals’ sleeping patterns.

Washington Post file photo by Jonathan Newton To see meteors, stars and star groups, it’s best to head at least 60 miles from a big city. One such place is Shenandoah National Park, above, where the Milky Way can be seen above Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

— Julia Duin, The Washington Post

MUSICIAN TO MUSICIAN

(WEEKS from 7)

they care. So, if you have a passion for the music or whatever you want to do, go for it and you will get support. I just think that we need to be more centralized. We need to come together.

Do you think it’s divided, then?

No, it’s not divided. Think about it this way. All the people that you know who are hip-hop around here, I know. We all know each other, we all come together and support each other. It’s close-knit. I just think it’s that people have to see what we have to offer. I did a show in D.C. and they interviewed me after I performed. They asked me where I was from and I said “Frederick,” and they were like, “Frederick? All the way out there?” And I, on camera, said, “Yeah, but you don’t know what we have all the way out there. We have spitters.”

I’ve seen so many artists and bands in whatever genre start to change their profile on their social media to say they’re from Washington, D.C., or Baltimore and not Frederick. Are you going to stick to saying you’re from Frederick, Maryland?

I say it all the time. I was born in Montgomery County, but I’ve been here 18, 19 years. I’m from here. I like telling people where I’m from. Why lie? To be honest, people are always going to know I’m from Frederick.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail.com.

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