Space
Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower Peak Tonight! How to See the Sky Show
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Aug 12, 2014 12:34 PM EDT
The Perseid meteor shower graces our night skies each summer and now, it's finally time to look up once more. Tonight, you'll get your chance to see shooting "stars" streak across the skies as the meteor shower reaches its peak.
There's only one catch to this sky show; just two days ago, the August supermoon lit up the night. This means that it's going to be far more difficult to spot the meteors in the night sky, since the moon will still be near full.
That's not to say that you won't see any meteors, though. With clear skies, there should be plenty of shooting "stars" to see. The best time to view them will be in the early hours of Wednesday morning about two hours before dawn. As many as 30 to 40 meteors may be visible each hour, according to Space.com. The meteors will appear to radiate outward from the direction or Perseus.
A total of 30 to 40 meteors per hour may seem like a lot, but a typical year actually produces up to 100 meteors an hour for the Perseids. With the bright moon, though, it doesn't look like this will be likely. However, there will still be a chance of "fireballs," which are extra large meteors that can create bright flashes as they streak across the sky.
If you miss the peak tonight, though, don't worry. There's always the option of looking up later this week since the Perseids will continue to be active, according to Phys.org. And if you can't get away from the city lights, there's always the option of watching it live online here.
Tonight, take the opportunity to look up at the night sky. You may just be able to get a few wishes in on more than a few shooting "stars."
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
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First Posted: Aug 12, 2014 12:34 PM EDT
The Perseid meteor shower graces our night skies each summer and now, it's finally time to look up once more. Tonight, you'll get your chance to see shooting "stars" streak across the skies as the meteor shower reaches its peak.
There's only one catch to this sky show; just two days ago, the August supermoon lit up the night. This means that it's going to be far more difficult to spot the meteors in the night sky, since the moon will still be near full.
That's not to say that you won't see any meteors, though. With clear skies, there should be plenty of shooting "stars" to see. The best time to view them will be in the early hours of Wednesday morning about two hours before dawn. As many as 30 to 40 meteors may be visible each hour, according to Space.com. The meteors will appear to radiate outward from the direction or Perseus.
A total of 30 to 40 meteors per hour may seem like a lot, but a typical year actually produces up to 100 meteors an hour for the Perseids. With the bright moon, though, it doesn't look like this will be likely. However, there will still be a chance of "fireballs," which are extra large meteors that can create bright flashes as they streak across the sky.
If you miss the peak tonight, though, don't worry. There's always the option of looking up later this week since the Perseids will continue to be active, according to Phys.org. And if you can't get away from the city lights, there's always the option of watching it live online here.
Tonight, take the opportunity to look up at the night sky. You may just be able to get a few wishes in on more than a few shooting "stars."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone