8/20/26 – If you happened to be near the Boundary Waters Wednesday night of last week, then you might have seen more shooting stars streak across the sky than usual. The annual meteor shower named the Perseids occurs in mid-August where 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour, so, naturally, the Sawbill Crew had to do some stargazing. 

The night of August 12th was perfect. The Perseids were at the peak of visibility and it also happened to be the night of a new moon, making room for the stars to shine even brighter. The weather was ideal too. The crew walked down to the landing in shorts and sweatshirts and joined a group of customers who had already set up their seats for viewing.

As the crew laid on the ground keeping steady eyes on the sky, some people got luckier than others to catch more glimpses of meteors at first. It could’ve been the timing or maybe better eyesight. Either way, when you heard the “ahh” or “wow” of those who have spotted a meteor, it would be followed by an “ugh” or “I missed it again!” There was one shooting star that was especially noticeable. It streaked across the sky leaving an electric tail that lingered for what felt like 10 seconds then popped a flash of light before disappearing. Once it faded, one of the customers asked their friend, “Did you see that one?!”. Their friend responded with a heavy, “No”. We all laughed.

Here’s a reminder that if you see a shooting star, make a wish!

-Kay