RMSC to Host Perseid Meteor Shower Events

ROCHESTER, NY, July 30, 2025–For two days and nights on August 1 & 2, the RMSC will be celebrating the annual Perseid Meteor Shower on its grounds, at the Museum & Science Center, and in the Strasenburgh Planetarium. Activities outdoors on the grounds are FREE for anyone to attend, while indoor events are included with general admission. 

The Perseid Meteor Shower, also known as the Perseids, peaks in mid-August every year, and is generally considered the most popular annual shower–likely because of the favorable weather for viewing and the number of visible meteors it produces. The fireballs of the Perseids are even bright enough to be spotted in light-polluted areas like cities!

This meteor shower receives its name from the constellation that the meteors appear to radiate out from–Perseus. This is not in fact where the meteors originate, but rather, the showers occur as the Earth moves into the debris field of the famous Swift-Tuttle Comet. Though it appears that meteors are hitting Earth, the Earth is actually hitting them! The fiery and vibrant tails, or the wake of a meteor, that we see in the sky are a result of the matter (sometimes the size of a grain of sand!) burning up at high velocity as they enter our atmosphere. 

Rochester has a strong history of optics innovations, and even shares a history with one of the namesakes of the comet that produces this annual shower–Lewis Swift. Swift independently discovered the Swift-Tuttle comet in 1862 while living in Marathon, NY, the same year as Horace Parnell Tuttle. In 1872, Swift moved to Rochester, where newspapers hailed him as “The People’s Astronomer” for hosting sky parties and free lectures. 

Sky gazing is one of the most accessible entries into Astronomy today, as it was in Swift’s time, and this event is an opportunity for all ages to dive deeper into the science of our night sky.

Visitors can participate in: 

• FREE Planetarium shows (limited shows–first come, first served)  

• Expert speakers on specialized topics concerning the cosmos 

• Telescope viewing (both day and night!) 

• Over 20 local community exhibitors sharing information and activities 

• Hearing from our Collections team about meteors and Lewis Swift

• Live Science activities and demonstrations 

• Stomp rockets & pocket solar system activities 

• And so much more! 

Food and refreshments will be available for purchase in the Galaxy Café daily from 11am–2pm, and a food truck with American fare will be available outside the Strasenburgh Planetarium in the evenings. Adults 21+ over can enjoy a cash bar with an outdoor telescope area during the evenings. 

Perseid Fest 

August 1–2, 2025 | 11am–3pm & 5–10pm

Learn more at: rmsc.org/events/perseids/

Find additional assets at: rmsc.org/press/rmsc-to-host-perseid-watch-parties/