“The Perseids feature fast and bright meteors that frequently leave trains, and in 2015 there will be no moonlight to upstage the shower”.
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The Perseid Meteor shower is an array of ice and dust particles from the Perseus constellation travelling at 133,000mph past our planet. Unlike last year, when there was a bright moon, Earth’s natural satellite won’t be visible and will enter the new moon phase Friday. We see this flaming demise as streaks of light in a darkened sky.
The annual Perseids meteor shower is set to reach its brilliant peak Wednesday night when as many as 100 meteors per hour will be visible streaking across the sky.
You don’t need any special equipment like binoculars or telescopes.
“If you see one meteor shower this year, make it August’s Perseids”, NASA wrote on their website.
From high above the Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to draw an audience even among people who aren’t necessarily astronomy buffs.
The clearest skies for the peak are likely to be eastern Scotland, northern England and north Wales. These shooting stars are more rare than the midnight variety, but tend to be more colorful and spectacular if you’re lucky enough to see one hugging the horizon as it flares out. “There’s something quite romantic about a meteor shower”.
The best time to see any activity will be from 11pm tonight up until tomorrow morning at 6am, but that is dependent on cloud cover and light pollution wherever you are. Every year from mid-July through late August, Earth crosses the orbital path of the comet, and the Perseids hit the upper atmosphere at about 130,000 miles per hour.
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In terms of location, residents near farms and open spaces are in a better position as they can see it better, according to Bill Cooke, NASA’s meteor expert, “Pastures or farms are good”.
