The meteor shower is caused when debris from this Swift-Tuttle comet crosses pass with Earth and flies into our atmosphere.
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Extensive cloud cover will dim our view of the Perseid Meteor Shower this early morning and early Saturday morning. “Under ideal conditions, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour”.
The Perseid meteor shower put up on a handsome show overnight when it peaked with as many as 200 meteors per hour flying through the night sky.
The last Perseids outburst was in 2009. The best viewing will opportunity will be from around midnight until dawn on Friday.
“Here’s something to think about”.
Bill Cooke, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, says that 160-200 per hour can be expected this year. “And they’ve traveled billions of miles before their kamikaze run into Earth’s atmosphere”.
Where to aim: This may sound silly, but aim your camera straight up – this is generally the darkest part of the sky. The best place to watch in Philadelphia is anywhere in an open field with clear views of the sky. If you’re unable to get a glimpse of the night sky from a less populated area like New York City or Los Angeles, you can track the best and closest spots to catch the show with our handy location guide.
Look to the northeast and you could see a meteor shower tonight and Friday night. A mountain meadow would be a flawless spot, but places around McPhee lake, such as the House Creek boat ramp, would work well, too, he said.
An August tradition, the Perseids are so named because the meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, the Medusa-killing hero of Greek mythology.
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Here’s a list of flyovers of the International Space Station.
