Viewer’s Guide to August Meteors

Six tips to get a great view of the Perseid meteor showers.

July/August 2003
By Natural Home Staff 
JA-03-029-812NS.jpg
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This Perseid meteor, photographed from Joshua Tree National Park, flashes through Orion’s belt.
Photo by Wally Pacholka
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Every August, astronomy buffs are rewarded with the famous Perseid meteor showers, caused when Earth passes through the tail of the ancient Swift-Tuttle comet. When these specks of dust hit Earth’s atmosphere—at roughly 133,200 miles per hour—they burn up, resulting in “shooting stars” that streak across the sky.

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This year’s Perseid showers appear from about July 23 to August 22 with a peak around August 12 and 13. Unfortunately, peak coincides with a nearly full moon, so your view may be obscured.

Here are some tips to optimize your viewing of these celestial phenomena—on a dark night, you may see about one meteor per minute.

1. Find a spot as far away from city lights as possible. The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

2. Choose a night without a moon when possible.

3. Set your alarm for 2 a.m., when Perseid activity accelerates. During pre-dawn hours, the Northern Hemisphere is heading right into the comet debris stream, so that’s when the most meteors blaze.

4. Lie down on a blanket or a reclining lawn chair so you can see the sky without craning your neck.

5. If there’s a moon shining, face away from it toward darker sky.

6. Relax, wait for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and enjoy the show!

Sources: Space.com, Sky-Watch.com, Dustbunny.com 

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