With an outburst of meteors forecast – double the usual rate – the annual meteor shower is one no sky gazer will want to miss. How much do you know about the celestial light show?
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NASA is live-streaming it. A meteor is a light phenomenon created when a meteoroid vaporizes as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. The NASA UStream player that will show the Perseids is embedded below.
Every year, the Earth passes through the long trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, and tonight is when the Earth is expected to pass through its most dense debris. So they’re not exactly “shooting stars”, but the flashes appear in the sky like dazzling streaks of light.
The best time to see the Perseid Meteor Shower will be between midnight and 4:30 a.m.
The night is free for all ages, wheelchair accessible, and will include some live tunes, a short talk about the science behind meteor showers, and of course stargazing. Most years, Earth grazes the edge of the debris stream, but this year, Jupiter’s gravity dragged the stream closer to us, meaning the Earth passed through closer to the center.
Perseid meteors travel at the incredible speed of 132,000 miles per hour – 500 times faster than the world’s fastest auto, according to NASA. These meteors are called Perseids because they seem to fly out of the constellation Perseus.
The farther you are from a city, the better. Astronomer Adam Block said this predicted outburst could be the best show since 2009.
Another challenge to viewing the meteors this year will be the moon. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness and look about two-thirds of the way up into the sky and enjoy!
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