Monday, August 10, 2009

Perseid meteor shower in town

If you see meteor showers in the sky the next few nights, you’re probably seeing the Perseids. The streaks that you see come from particles ejected from the comet Swift-Tuttle, and are named the Perseids because they radiate from the constellation Perseus. The experts says that this year’s moon isn’t ideal for watching arguably the year’s best meteor shower, but you should be able to catch some of the meteors just before or just after moonrise (the show will tend to strengthen towards dawn).


If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, make plans to head out towards clear skies and minimally lit areas from late night Tuesday, August 11 to dawn on Wednesday, August 12. The Perseids are predicted to have peak rates of about 80-100 shooting stars per hour at a good vantage point.

-Connie

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