Perseid meteor shower to peak this weekend
The shower pops up every year from late July through Sept 1, when the Earth travels through the debris field left from comet Swift-Tuttle.
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The well known summertime meteor shower is back! The Perseids will peak this weekend and the weather looks like it will cooperate nicely.
The shower pops up every year from late July through Sept. 1, when the Earth travels through the debris field left from comet Swift-Tuttle.
This year, the Earth will pass through the densest part of the trail starting Sunday night, Aug. 11 and into Monday morning on Aug. 12. This will be the best time to see the most meteors, which some people refer to as “shooting stars.”
You may have seen a few of them already, but this past week was certainly tough with the clouds and rain. In fact, there are two other weaker showers also going on right now, that none of us probably saw. If you happen to see a swift bright meteor cross the sky, there’s a good chance it was a Perseid. That’s what this shower is actually known for.
It’s named for the constellation Perseus, which is the part of the sky the showers appear to come from. It’s one of the 48 ancient constellations listed by the second century astronomer, Ptolemy. Perseus was the Greek mythological hero, who beheaded Medusa.
Perseus rises high in the northeastern sky late at night, near the constellation Cassiopeia. You may not notice Perseus at first, but Cassiopeia is unmistakable with it’s zig-zag shape that resembles the letter “M” or “W.”
How to view:
The best part about viewing meteor showers is that all you need to do is look up. Find the darkest patch of sky out there, it doesn’t have to be in the direction of the constellation either. They will pop up almost anywhere.
Head out late, the later the better. Grab the lawn chairs, blankets and bug spray and give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Get comfortable because it may take awhile.
If your schedule happens to get in the way, this shower will be visible for several weeks.
