An outburst is a meteor shower with more meteors than usual. It is caused by the gravity of Jupiter pulling together the remnants of at least three meteor streams left by Swift-Tuttle more than 150 years ago. The Perseids are dust bits from Comet Swift-Tuttle and are famous for creating bright fireballs and elevated meteor activity for almost two weeks in mid-August.
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Every August, one of the biggest celestial events in the night time sky is the Perseid meteor shower. According to NASA, when Earth crosses paths with Swift-Tuttle’s debris, specks of comet hit the atmosphere and disintegrates in flashes of light. And this year, according to NASA, Earth may be in for a closer encounter than usual with the comet trails that result in the meteor shower, setting the stage for a spectacular display. NASA recommends going outside between midnight and dawn on Friday morning.
Every 133 years, comet Swift-Tuttle swings through the inner Solar System leaving behind a trail of dust.
“The meteors will appear as faint streaks of light that could be anywhere in the sky, though they will appear to come from the constellation Perseus”, said Liz Klimek, planetarium manager at the S.C. State Museum. “And they’ve traveled billions of miles before their kamikaze run into Earth’s atmosphere”.
Here’s everything you need to know about viewing the meteor shower.
“You don’t need a telescope or binoculars”, she said.
The best areas to view the Perseids Meteor Shower will be far away from cities and towns that produce light pollution.
Castlewood Canyon: Although the trails of the Canyon close to the public at 9 p.m., the general Canyon area is the flawless candidate to avoid light pollution.
NASA says the best way to catch the shower is to stand outside for about 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. “You don’t want to look in any particular direction, just lie on your back and look straight up”. The weather looks to cooperate as well, we are expecting a mostly clear sky at midnight, then increasing clouds by daybreak Friday.
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For stargazers experiencing cloudy or light-polluted skies, NASA will live broadcast the meteor shower beginning at 10 p.m.
