Moon and weather conditions perfect for viewing this annual wonder.
Gather up your hopes and dreams, because this weekend, you’ll have a lot of shooting stars (aka meteors) to wish on!
The Perseid Meteor Shower will hit its peak Saturday night through early Monday morning. Every summer, the meteors put on a display that’s not to miss from about July 17 to Aug. 24, giving us all a chance to watch the sky with awe. EarthSky.org predicts that this year’s shower will be at its best on Aug. 11, 12 and 13. This year’s new moon will also play a big part (or little, since it is only a crescent moon), in the visibility of the Perseid show.
“In a dark, moonless sky, this annual shower often produces some 50 meteors per hour … often many more. And this year, in 2018, there’ll be no moonlight to ruin the show,” the site relates.
The best part is that thanks to the predicted clear to partly cloudy weather, moonless sky and amount of meteors, you don’t need special equipment to view the shower. It is suggested that you get as far away from the city lights as possible to really get a full view of the show.
Can’t wait to watch the stars? You don’t have to! If you have a dark sky, you can start watching now, as the moon is waning, the Perseid shower is ramping up and the Delta Aquariid shower, which hit its peak on July 27, is still winding down. Turn your eyes to the heavens tonight, and you just might see something!
Fun Perseid Meteor Shower Facts (courtesy of NASA) :
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Meteor showers get their names from the constellation in where their radiant is located. Perseids come from Perseus.
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The Perseid meteor shower was first observed about 2,000 years ago and recorded in the Chinese annals.
- The color of a meteor's tail is caused by the ionization of molecules, such as oxygen, which appears as green.
What do you think? Will you have your eyes on the skies this weekend? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to send us photos/videos of the meteor showers HERE.