ORLANDO, Fla. – It is that time of the year when the most popular meteor shower lights up the night sky.
On average, the Perseid meteor shower usually begins around the middle of July and ends by August.
This weekend, the peak of the Perseid showers will occur on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, as pieces of ice and dust meet the Earth’s atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the night sky. At times, you could spot up to 90 per hour in the dark skies.
According to the Seminole State College Planetarium Director Derek Demeter, the meteor shower happens every summer as Earth orbits through a debris field of a comet called Swift-Tuttle.
“You have this comet that’s orbiting the sun, we’re orbiting around the sun and this comet is very, very far away, millions and millions of miles away and that dust that is coming off the comet is finally hitting us,” Demeter said. “So we’re actually seeing space dust that’s burning up in our atmosphere.”
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Viewing tips:
- Look toward the meteor shower’s namesake, the Perseus constellation. This can be found toward the northeast after midnight.
- To best view the evening light show, it is best to watch during the overnight and early morning hours.
- Take in as much of the sky as you can. Ideally, you should lie on your back away from any visual obstructions.
- Move away from as much “light pollution” as possible. This includes general city lights like streetlights etc.
- Limit looking down at your phone, as your eyes need time to adjust to the dark.
Viewing conditions:
Speaking of light pollution, a dim moon would make viewing the meteor shower even better! That will be the case this weekend with the moon at a favorable phase. The moon will be a waning crescent, which means only a sliver of the moon (about 13%) will be illuminated.
Weather conditions look to be favorable as well. Cloud cover between midnight and 6 a.m. will run between 15-30 percent with temperatures remaining near 80 degrees. Factoring in the muggy air, don’t expect it to be a comfortable night. At times overnight, some areas will feel more like the upper 80s to 90 degrees.
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