Perseids Meteor Shower to Peak on August 12
July 10, 2008
The yearly meteor shower Perseid is expected to be better than normal this year thanks to the lack of moonlinght getting in the way. The meteor shower will peak in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour.
The Moon will be out of the way so the light show will be much clearer than ever. As the meteor’s tail passes over the Earth, the particles which are about the size of a grain of sand will vaporize in the atmosphere to create shooting stars.
This year the Perseid meteor shower could deliver one or two visible streaks every minute during peak times, Cooke said in a statement yesterday. Urban skywatchers will see fewer due to local light pollution.
The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity is around 100 meteors per hour. Light sources such as nearby cities and porch lights effectively hide the meteors, so it’s best to get away from city lights if possible.
To see the show, one need only find a comfortable spot with a clear view of the northeast horizon, away from local lights. A dark rural location is best. Lie back on a blanket or lounge chair and scan the entire sky. In the late evening, starting around 9 p.m. local time, sharp-eyed observers might see earthgrazing meteors that skim the northeast horizon.
Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful and are among the most beautiful of meteors. But don’t expect more than a 10 in an hour. Later and during the overnight hours, the shooting stars will be higher in the sky as Perseus rises.
Telescopes and binoculars are no help, as the meteors move too swiftly and are best seen with the naked eye.
The cosmic rivers of debris have been laid down for millennia by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which passes through the inner solar system every 130 years. Perseid meteoroids are exceptionally fast, entering Earth’s atmosphere at roughly 133,200 mph relative to the planet, slamming into the air like bugs hitting a windshield.
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