Don’t Miss One of Best & Brightest Meteor Showers of the Year This Month
Don't miss one of the best meteor showers of the year this month.
It's time for the Perseids. The meteor shower actually runs from July 14 to September 1. But you'll want to mark your calendar for this year’s peak, which will happen on the nights of August 11 and 12.
Made of tiny space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus. This is because the direction, or radiant, from which the shower seems to come in the sky lies in the same direction as Perseus.
Normally, you can see up to 90 meteors per hour during the Perseids. However, the sky will be lit up thanks to this year’s full Sturgeon Moon on the same night of the shower’s peak, said Gary Boyle The Backyard Astronomer.
Only the brighter meteors will be seen with the bright moonlight. A few bright fireballs might be seen a few nights before the peak nights. Moonlight will interfere see the fainter meteors.
You don't need any special equipment or a lot of skills to view the Perseids. All you really need is a clear sky and lots of patience. Find a secluded spot, away from the city lights, and allow your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. Once you have found your spot, lie down and look up.
The best time for viewing on Thursday, August 11 is between 8 PM and midnight. On Friday, August 12, the shooting stars can be seen from midnight to 6 AM. Luckily, Mother Nature looks like she may actually cooperate this time with only a few clouds in the forecast on August 11 and clear skies for August 12.