In North America, the Perseid meteor shower will be most visible in in the sky beginning on Tuesday, August 11 in the early dawn until August 14.
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Perseids are better viewed from the suburbs or some other location outside the city where there are no lights during the night time. This year, the sky will be lit up with hundreds of meteors in the night between August 12 and August 13, so don’t make any plans for this evening.
Meteors (popularly known as “shooting stars”) are the result of small particles, some as small as a grain of sand, entering the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed. The Perseids will soon be coming, covering the sky in translucent light and let the stars play with their brilliant sparkle.
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the brightest meteor showers of the year, occurs every year between July 17 and August 24. But the peak is expected around 4 a.m on August 13 (Thursday morning) when up to 100 meteors per hour may be visible from a dark sky. Occasionally, longer and brighter streaks are seen, from pea- or marble-sized comet remnants. Cost is free for campers or those in cabins, $20 for those not staying on the grounds, and $15 if you are not staying at Hard Labor but bring your own kayak.
The name of the meteor shower does not come from the comet, as one might expect, but rather from the constellation of Perseus, where they are formed. Lie down on a blanket and let your eyes adjust.
The Perseids are typically good meteors to watch.
McClure said no special equipment is needed to enjoy this nighttime spectacle, one just needs a dark sky and some patience. “Some of the forecasts are saying that this is going to be a large burst of meteors so you could see quite a few”. It is best to find a wide open space away from tall buildings or trees, and with as little artificial light as possible.
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According to recent declarations from NASA, there could be as many as 80 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower. So keep calm and look up at that meteor shower!
