Community Corner
Perseid Meteor Shower: When to Watch
Viewers should be able to observe 60 "shooting stars" hourly Aug. 11-12 during the Perseid meteor shower.
By Patch Staff
All eyes will be on the skies in a week and a half.
No telescopes are required for the Perseid meteor shower taking place primarily at night and in the early morning hours on Sunday, Aug. 11, and Monday, Aug. 12. According to NASA, stargazers could see up to 60 meteors flash before them per hour.
The Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year, NASA said: It will occur on a night when the crescent moon sets early, making the sky particularly dark.
You don't even need a telescope. Just spread out a blanket, maybe a late-night picnic, lay back and enjoy!
Michael Frey, an astronomy lecturer at Cal State Uinversity, Long Beach, recommends going to a local park, beach or even your own backyard, as long as it’s reasonably dark and you have a view close to the horizon. The show will start after midnight, he said.
“Look toward the east as Perseid is rising to see what is called the radiant,” Frey said, referring to the point of the sky where showers orginate. “Once Perseid hits, you’ll see a few per minute.”
All eyes will be on the skies in a week and a half.
No telescopes are required for the Perseid meteor shower taking place primarily at night and in the early morning hours on Sunday, Aug. 11, and Monday, Aug. 12. According to NASA, stargazers could see up to 60 meteors flash before them per hour.
The Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year, NASA said: It will occur on a night when the crescent moon sets early, making the sky particularly dark.
You don't even need a telescope. Just spread out a blanket, maybe a late-night picnic, lay back and enjoy!
Michael Frey, an astronomy lecturer at Cal State Uinversity, Long Beach, recommends going to a local park, beach or even your own backyard, as long as it’s reasonably dark and you have a view close to the horizon. The show will start after midnight, he said.
“Look toward the east as Perseid is rising to see what is called the radiant,” Frey said, referring to the point of the sky where showers orginate. “Once Perseid hits, you’ll see a few per minute.”
He also offered this advice: “Bring something like a blanket or lawn chairs, nice drinks, a little bit of food and some good friends.”
Perseid Meteor Trivia:
- Mankind has looked up at the Perseids for nearly 2,000 years
- The Perseids are remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which orbits the sun every 133 years.
- These bits of comet "ice and dust" are more than 1,000 years old
- These meteors travel 37 miles per second
- The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing opportunities will be across the northern hemisphere.
- Those with sharp eyes will see that the meteors radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus, which forms an inverted "Y" shape and is in the northeast.
- Some of the meteorites are as small as a grain of sand, but they have the kinetic energy of a nuclear bomb!
- If you see a very slow, bright object sailing across the sky, it's either a satellite or a Space Station.
Where and how to view:
- The best time to view the Perseids will be before dawn either Aug. 11 or 12.
- Avoid city lights. The further you get from town, the better your view will be.
If you snap a great photo of the shower, post it on our boards!
Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
