Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Don't Forget the Perseids

Weather permitting, that is. August 11 through 14 will feature the premier meteor showers of the year.

More on the Perseid showers.

Barring cloudy skies, this week’s Perseid meteor shower may be a classic, excellent show.
The shooting star spectacle peaks on the night of Wednesday into Thursday morning, with as many as 90 to 100 shooting stars an hour, according to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society in the U.K. In the eastern U.S., the most prolific cosmic bombardment will likely be around 4 a.m. Eastern time.

This year’s peak could be phenomenal because the Perseids won’t compete with moon light, since the waning crescent moon sets at 6:44 p.m. on Wednesday. This will create a nice dark, moon-free heaven for meteor observers.

How can you watch? “Look towards the familiar constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus in the northeast,” according to NASA. “They rise soon after sunset, but you’ll want to wait til they are higher in the sky to see the most meteors.”

It helps to be in a dark location, away from the brightest city lights, but here is no need to set up a telescope or binoculars. Arm yourself with a beverage, walk outside and stare at the sky. Beach and rural settings might be a perfect fit for finding shooting stars.



Damn cloudy Thursday AM. Try again tonite.

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