Look up! Two meteor showers to see in Montreal this month

Two meteor showers on display in Montreal area Night sky educator Trevor Kjorlien speaks about the two meteor showers and the busy year for night sky viewers in 2024.

Anyone tired of trying to muster the energy to hit a park in the humid 37 degree Celsius Montreal heat may have the perfect excuse to take a siesta and plan that same excursion once the sun goes down.

There are currently two major meteor showers in the night sky.

The Southern Delta Aqariids (SDA) started July 18 and are expected to go until Aug. 21, with the peak time to view them on Tuesday night.

The Perseids (PER) shower began on July 14 and should go until Sept. 1. The peak time to view those is Aug. 12.

Plateau Astro founder Trevor Kjorlien gives private tours and facilitates activities related to the night skies.

"You can kind of expect to see probably about maybe 20 or so meteors per hour with it [the SDA]," he said. "About a week-and-a-half from now, we have the Perseids, and this is again another annual meteor shower, and that has about 100 meteors that you'll be able to see per hour."

Kjorlien said the showers are ideally seen in a dark sky area on your back after your eyes have adjusted to the lack of light.

"Make sure you've got some bug spray all over you and hopefully you'll be able to spot some of these flying through the sky," said Kjorlien.

Where should I go?

The key to getting a quality night sky view is avoiding light, particularly the downtown Montreal skyline.

Kjorlien said the Belvedere Outremont lookout on the northwest side of Mount Royal is a good option.

"You're looking towards the west and you're above the city lights and you're not getting that harsh downtown light," he said.

Two other large open areas away from the city lights are Parc Frédéric-Back in the Saint-Michel neighbourhood and Parc Maisonneuve near the Olympic Park.

Take a trip, see the sky

For those heading out of town, there are two prime spots for night sky viewing in the regions.

DarkSky International inaugurated the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) in 2007 and was the first international reserve.

It is over 5,100 square kilometres in the Eastern Townships surrounding Mont-Mégantic.

Dominic Boucher Paquette is the mayor of Notre-Dame-des-Bois, which is in the reserve.

He said viewing a meteor shower or other night sky event from his town is a bucket list item.

"It's a big show," said Boucher Paquette. "When the sky is clear, you see a big, beautiful show because it's so light...When you see it for the first time, you say, 'Oh my God! It's amazing.' You'll never see this around the world, but here, it's possible."

Those who live in the area are instructed to direct all exterior lighting down, using amber warm-coloured light.

Timers and controls are also used to make the night as dark as possible, and roofs must be black to minimize reflections.

Boucher Paquette says he and his boyfriend run a market and witness first-hand how attractive a night sky is for tourists and enthusiasts.

"We have so many customers, clientele for the hotels, bed and breakfasts for everything. It's a big gift for the town and the region," he said.

Mont-Bellevue Parc (PMB) in Sherbrooke is another spot to view the meteor showers.

It is within the dark sky reserve and was designated an Urban Night Sky Place in 2022.

Mont-Tremblant National Park is another option.

The park began taking measures in 2019 to track light pollution trends, converting streetlights and upgrading existing lighting.

In 2023, it was designated an International Dark Sky Park.