Get ready for annual meteor shower
Get ready for annual meteor shower
The most familiar annual meteor shower is expected to put on a great show this year, if weather cooperates. This year’s Perseid meteor shower will peak in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour. However, this year North Florida will be enjoying a full moon about
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A brilliant Perseid flashes across the constellation Andromeda on August 12, 1997. Rick Scott and Joe Orman in Florence Junction, Arizona, got lucky during an 8-minute exposure with a 21-millimeter f/2 lens and Ektachrome P1600 film.
Courtesy Rick Scott and Joe Orman.
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the same time. Fortunately, the Perseids stay active for several days before and after their peak, so hopefully there will be several chances to catch the show.
Meteors can streak across the sky at any time. But there are times of the year when Earth passes through an ancient stream of comet debris. Little bits, most no larger than sand grains, will vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, creating sometimes-dramatic "shooting stars."
The Perseids were traditionally known as the "tears of St Lawrence" because they often appeared around the saint's feast day.
The Perseids are probably the most-watched annual meteor shower. The shower has a very long duration, from about July 15 through August 25. The shower is most interesting around its peak on August 12 or 13. This year, the peak comes on August 12 because of the leap year. The radiant is above the horizon the entire night for observers north of latitude 32N, but it is fairly low at the end of evening twilight. Evening Perseid rates are fairly low, and the bright Moon makes things worse this year. The real meat of the show comes during the predawn hours when the Moon is down and the radiant is high.
Predawn rates for observers with truly dark skies may exceed 100 Perseids per hour (West Coast of North America and/or Eastern Asia may be favored this year), with a nice sprinkling of sporadic and minor shower meteors added to the mix. Adjacent mornings from August 10 through August 13 are well worth watching, although rates will be significantly lower.
Perseids are fast meteors and tend to be fairly bright on average. An occasional fireball is seen.
Observing tips
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.
The prime meteor-watching hours are from about midnight until the first glimmer of dawn. Even if you live under moderate light pollution, as most people do, you can catch at least the brightest of the Perseids.
Be patient, and give your eyes plenty of time to adapt to the darkness. The direction to watch is wherever your sky is darkest, probably straight up.
