August gives Cincinnati stargazers lots to watch

How it works: The Perseids happen every August as Earth plows through debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, according to Dean Regas, a Cincinnati astronomer and host of the podcast "Looking Up."

• The comet particles create meteors, or shooting stars, as they enter Earth's atmosphere.

No telescope needed: Get away from city lights, pack a comfy chair and watch the sky, Regas says.

When to watch: Peak viewing is between 2am and 5am on Thursday, though some meteors could appear earlier in the night.

• Look toward the eastern sky early in the night and high in the southern sky after midnight, Regas says.
• While some forecasts call for 50-100 meteors per hour, Regas says a more realistic expectation is about 10-20.

The intrigue: A total solar eclipse also happens Wednesday, but Cincinnati isn't able to see it, Regas says.

The good news: Cincinnati gets another celestial show later this month with a lunar eclipse.

• On Aug. 27, 96% of the Moon's surface will move into Earth's shadow, which will be visible in Cincinnati and across the country.

That's close enough to totality that Regas expects some of the same effects.

• The lunar surface should take on a rosy color, though not the deep red hue sometimes seen during a total lunar eclipse, he says.

Zoom in: The eclipse runs from 10:33pm Aug. 27 until 1:52am Aug. 28, with maximum eclipse around midnight.

• Unlike with the Perseids, there's no need to escape the city lights. Just step outside and look up.

What they're saying: "It is a super chill eclipse where you can kick back and watch the shadow slowly move across the Moon," Regas says.