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Meteor shower to peak after midnight
August 11, 2007
If you like the kind of fireworks shows made by nature rather than man, tonight should be a treat.
The annual Perseids meteor shower is expected to reach its peak after midnight. It should be a decent show, all said, because the shower is taking place on a moonless night. It can be seen in any part of the sky -- preferably a darker area, less polluted by light.
Like all meteor showers, this one gets its name from the constellation it appears to originate from. The showers actually occur when Earth intersects debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. When the debris enters Earth's atmosphere, it ignites, causing a streak across the night sky.
Earlier in the evening, you should see a streak every minute or so. By the time the shower peaks in the early-morning hours, there may be dozens of meteors per minute.
The Perseids showers will still be visible for a few days after this weekend's peak.
Mars will be visible, too, glowing red in the northeast.
August 11, 2007
If you like the kind of fireworks shows made by nature rather than man, tonight should be a treat.
The annual Perseids meteor shower is expected to reach its peak after midnight. It should be a decent show, all said, because the shower is taking place on a moonless night. It can be seen in any part of the sky -- preferably a darker area, less polluted by light.
Like all meteor showers, this one gets its name from the constellation it appears to originate from. The showers actually occur when Earth intersects debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. When the debris enters Earth's atmosphere, it ignites, causing a streak across the night sky.
Earlier in the evening, you should see a streak every minute or so. By the time the shower peaks in the early-morning hours, there may be dozens of meteors per minute.
The Perseids showers will still be visible for a few days after this weekend's peak.
Mars will be visible, too, glowing red in the northeast.
