This weekend, skywatchers in the Newtown area can catch one of the year’s most prominent meteor displays.
The Perseid meteor shower is set to reach its peak during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, August 13.
The yearly Perseid meteor shower started July 14 and concludes on September 1.
NASA deems the Perseids the standout meteor shower of the year. Although last year’s display was overshadowed by a full moon, this year’s performance promises enhanced visibility courtesy of the diminishing crescent moon.
“If you’ve got nice clear weather and a good dark sky, you go out just before dawn and you’ll see a Perseid per minute or so,” said NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke told the Associated Press. “That’s a pretty good show.”
The meteoric peak will boast approximately 40 meteors darting through the sky each hour. NASA’s All Sky Fireball Network has confirmed early sightings of these meteors.
These meteors are fragments from the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which is the largest near-Earth object to cross the plant’s orbit and make repeated close approaches.
For optimal observation, choose a location with minimal light interference. Even within urban settings, the more luminous meteors are discernible, albeit at a reduced rate of approximately 10 per hour, according to experts.
