More Night Sky Viewing Opportunities

The Perseid happens to be the most spectacular Meteor Shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. The Perseid presents a high rate of meteors every year and it occurs July/August when you can go out for an evening under the stars and swat mosquitoes. 

Orbiting the sun every 130 years the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth is the Comet Swift-Tuttle.  The nucleus of the comet is about 26 kilometers wide.  1992 was the last time it last passed nearby Earth during its orbit around the sun.  It will return when we're all dead and gone in 2126.

Nevertheless, because Earth passes through the dust and debris it leaves behind every year - creating the annual Perseid meteor shower – we’ll have regular reminders.  This year should be a good year.

 

Watching the meteor shower is actually observing the pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright streak of light.  In outer space this debris is referred to as meteoroids.  When they enter and burn-up in Earth's atmosphere they're referred to as meteors.   If a piece makes it all the way down to Earth without burning up, it is called a meteorite.   Most of the meteors in the Perseids are about the size of a grain of sand but if you’re lucky a few might be the size of a pea or a marble.

 

Where to look?  The radiant point (point of origin) is the constellation Perseus.

 

JPL - NASA

 

The cool thing about this meteor shower is that it allows for extended and multiple viewing opportunities.  If you catch a cloudy night or get rained-out - no worries.  The Perseids will be active from July 17th through August 26th.  Maximum activity is predicted to occur the evening of August 11 - 12 when rates of up to 100 per hour may be seen from skies without any light pollution.

 

You can learn more about the Perseids here.