Geeks in Space: The Perseids Are Here! The Perseids Are Here!
Perseid meteors appear to emanate from a point in the constellation Perseus, as shown in this graphic depicting the northeastern sky at around midnight. Although the meteors can appear in any part of the sky, their tails can be traced back to that point.
Each year beginning in July and running through August, the Perseid meteor shower fills the night sky with all its fiery glory. This Friday marks the peak of this year’s show and despite a full moon, the show should still be spectacular. Here’re a few tips on how can you make the most of this year’s event.
First, get outta town. Nothing kills star-gazing better than city lights, so if you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where you can easily avoid the light pollution, take advantage of it. Second, try to situate yourself so that you have some kind of structure to the south that will block the moon’s glare, such as a barn or a tree or, even better, a mountain. Anything that can reduce the glare, will improve your chances of catching some great streaks. And don’t forget to offer up a sacrifice to the gods of weather to keep the clouds away. I suggest a Snickers bar as that always does the trick for me.
Finally, slather on some mosquito repellant, get yourself comfortable, lie back and stare up. The best viewing times are from midnight to dawn, so plan bring some coffee or tea to help you stay awake. If you have it, take binoculars or a telescope with you, but since capturing a streaking meteor in its view finder is nearly impossible, reserve it for viewing the other great stuff going on in the night sky such as Mars and the International Space Station, which is the brightest human-made object in the night sky. To check for its location of where you live, check out NASA’s site.
Also, to keep yourself company, and if you have coverage at your location, you can also join in NASA’s online chat to watch the Perseids. More info can be found HERE.
If worst comes to worse, and you’re clouded over or if you live in a city lights wasteland like I do, you can always listen to the meteor shower. SpaceWeather.com is an Air Force Space Surveillance Radar that listens to the sky. Whenever a meteor or satellite passes over the station, there’s a ping. You can also hear the sound of a meteor HERE. Neat, huh?
The Perseids are a phenomenon known to humans for at least 2,000 years. They originate with the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. Each August, the Earth passes through the comet’s debris cloud and it is these bits of ice and dust that burn up in the atmosphere, sometimes producing awesome fireballs.
Enjoy the show and I wish you good viewing!
Have a great week!
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