The Perseid Meteor Shower has Returned

August 11 – 12 is the climax of the annual Perseid meteor shower, weather permitting of course.

The best time for viewing is after midnight to the predawn hours when the numbers will be the highest.  Find  a spot away from a lot of ground lights and look to the northeast.  If there is a lot of ground light, look to the darkest part of the sky.   Like most meteor showers those with patience see the most. The meteors tend to come in batches out the constellation Perseus, hence the name. However, they can appear in any part of the sky but all their tails will point back to Perseus.  This year the moon will have minimal effect on viewing.  The Perseids occur every year as the Earth passes through a stream of dust particles and debris from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. These particles hit the earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 140,000 mph and become heated to form bright streaks across the sky – shooting stars.  The shower is at its peak or climax when the earth passes through the middle of the tail debris.  For those willing to stay up later or get up extra early, there is an added treat as this meteor show has the most fireballs of all the meteor showers this year.  So get out a blanket, lay on your back and enjoy the show.  And don't worry if you miss the peak, the show this year lasts from July 17 - Aug 24th.    Picture credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.