Perseid Showers are on their way, and this year’s meteor display should offer some of the best viewing opportunities as the moon has promised not to interfere.
Backyard astronomer Gary Boyle says it’s an annual phenomenon.
This year the peak night occurs on the night of August 12 into the morning of the 13th.
Boyle says that we are seeing is earth plowing through the dusty debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a 26 km wide mountain of ice, dust and gravel that last appeared in 1992 in its 133-year orbit around the sun.
The comet will return in the year 2125.
We should see 60 to 80 meteors (commonly called shooting stars) dashing through the sky.
The 8% waning crescent moon will rise around 3 am and will not interfere with viewing the faint meteors.
Don’t try to capture any of this on your cellphone, as you’ll be disappointed.
There could also be a possibility of enhanced activity on the night of Aug 13 from 9 pm to 10:45 pm eastern.
By Rick Stow
