US – It’s that time of the year again when we see meteors every night falling from the skies.
The Perseid Meteor shower is underway, it started July 14th and will end September 1st.
The Perseid Meteor shower happens annually from the earth passing through the tailing of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet leaves a trail of debris within the earth’s orbit, eventually, the earth comes into contact with the debris and that is what is seen during this shower. Swift-Tuttle only passes by Earth every 133 years, the comet orbits the sun.
Tonight the gradational pull of the earth will pull lots of debris from the shower causing about 50 shooting stars an hour. This will ramp up towards the end of July into August when it’s possible to get 200 “shooting stars” per hour.
Letting your eye roam over the sky is the best way to really enjoy the meteors. Find yourself a dark location and make sure you bring bug spray and enjoy. Peak times are early morning hours but you should be able to see them from dusk to sunrise.