The annual Perseid Meteor Shower starts late tonight and those who know about these matters claim it will be a stunner. The bright Moon will be playing the role of spoiler, blocking out the fainter meteors, but you should still see quite a display of celestial fireworks.

What is a meteor?

A grain of sand that enters the atmosphere at 15,000 miles-per-hour.

It’s not a falling star?

If it were an actual star then we’d be dead. Shooting stars is the popular term for meteors.

What Will I See?

If you’ve ever seen a “falling star” then you know what a meteor looks like. It’s a bright streak of light that can arrive in different colors.

What is a Meteor Shower?

There are patches of space that Earth travels through that are littered with dust and residual debris left over from ancient comets. When a comet heats up it begins to form a trail of ice and dust. This trail spreads out over time and, eventually, Earth passes through the debris. It is this debris that enters the atmosphere and creates a Meteor Shower.

How Many Meteors Will I See?

No one knows for sure, but estimates range from 100-200 meteors per hour under perfect viewing conditions.

When is the Best Time to View the Perseids?

Midnight – 5 a.m., Wednesday Morning. 4-5 a.m is consider prime time for this event.

How Best to View It?

Under clear, dark skies. Get away from city lights and find the darkest sky you can.

Where Should I Look?

This is the trickiest part but not so bad if you know which direction is North.  The Perseids will appear to arrive from the constellation Perseus, which will be low on the horizon in the direction of N-NE. Your best signpost for where Perseus is located is another constellation called Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is easy to spot because it looks like a slightly sideways “W”. Once you spot Cassiopeia, you’ll find Perseus right below it.

Don’t panic if you can’t find these constellations. Just keep watching the sky and you WILL see the Perseids.