The 2012 Perseids Peak Tomorrow

Don't miss the Perseids on the starry night of August 12th

How can I best view the Perseids meteor shower?

The Perseids have been observed by humans for about 2000 years, with the earliest knowledge of their existence emerging from the Far East. It is one of the finest meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60-100 bright, fast, and colorful meteors per hour during their peak. This annual meteor shower is active from July 23 through August 22, and usually peaks on August 11 and 12.

Perseids is extremely consistent in its timing and can potentially be observable for several weeks in the summer sky, conditional on your whereabouts, lighting conditions, and weather. Meteor showers are commonly named after their radiant point, the perspective point in the sky from which the meteors appear to come from. In the case of Perseids, it is named after the constellation Perseus, which is positioned in approximately the same point in which the Perseids meteor shower appears to originate from.

While this summer spectacular appears to radiate from a constellation, they are actually caused by the Earth passing through the dust particles of the comet Swift-Tuttle. Each summer, Earth passes into a trail of dust left by this comet, and as a result, all the dust and debris burning up in our atmosphere, travelling at a very fast 132,000 miles per second (59 km/s), produces the spectacle known as the Perseids meteor shower, or what are popularly recognized as “shooting stars”. There's no danger to sky watchers, though. The fragile grains disintegrate long before they reach the ground.

While the meteors are certainly bright, they are typically not much larger than a grain of sand. However, as they travel at immense speeds, these tiny particles put on an impressive show. Due to the way the comet’s orbit is tilted, dust from the Swift-Tuttle falls on Earth’s northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, this leads to extremely low visibility for those in Australia, New Zealand, and portions of South America.

In 2012, the waning crescent moon occurring on August 12 will not have a negative impact on the visibility of the Perseids. Due to the lack of bright moonlight, the fainter meteors will not be concealed from view. It is advisable to observe the meteor shower during the predawn hours on the mornings of August 11, 12, and 13. With up to 60-100 meteors per hour predicted, observers may catch plenty of bright meteors streaking along in the light of the moon.

How do I know the sky is dark enough to see meteors?

If you happen to live near a brightly lit city, if possible, we recommend that you drive away from the glow of city light. After you’ve escaped the glow of the city, find a dark, safe, and possibly isolated spot where oncoming vehicle headlights will not occasionally ruin your sensitive night vision. Look for state or city parks or other safe dark-sites.

Once you have settled down at your observation spot, look approximately half way up the sky facing northeast. This way you can have the Perseids’ radiant within your field of view. Looking directly up at the sky or into the radiant is not recommended since this is just the point in which they appear to come from. You are more likely to see a trail when looking slightly away from this point. Looking half-way up into the sky will lead to the best show in the house!

     

The Perseids are Peaking Now

The annual August meteor shower, that is:

PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

Earth is entering a stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, source of the annual Perseid meteor shower. International observers are now reporting more than 20 Perseids per hour, a number that will increase as the shower reaches its peak on August 12-13.

Last night in Arizona, photographer Marsha Adams caught a Perseid meteor shooting over Ship Rock near Sedona:


"The meteor was bright enough to be seen through the glaring moonlight that was illuminating the landscape," notes Adams. [...]

What an excellent photo! A full moon is not generally considered a good thing for watching a meteor shower, but Marsha made it work for her with this picture.

Also see:

Meteor Shower 2011: How to See the Perseids
     

The Perseid Meteor Shower, 2009

They said the peak of the showers were visible last night. It was overcast here, so we couldn't see them. Viewing should still be good tonight though:

Perseids: What They Are, How to Watch the Meteors, More

[...] The greatest concentration of Perseid meteors will hit Earth's atmosphere this afternoon, when they should be largely invisible in North America. But tonight should be just as good a show as last night (Perseids picture from 2008).

To watch, pack a blanket, bug spray, and snacks, then lie on your back away from city lights, with a view of as much of the sky as possible. The best viewing hours should be whenever skies are clear and whenever the moon isn't present. For example, the U.S. East Coast should have moonless skies between about 10:45 p.m. and 1 a.m. (check your local moonrise and moonset times).

Look for the shooting stars to streak out from the northeast to points across the sky, especially at and after midnight (see animated diagram below). [...]

The shower actually continues on till August 25th. But after the peak which is occurring now, the amount of meteors you see will be less numerous, but still fun to watch for.

Also see: Night Sky Observer: Perseids 2009
     

Here it comes...

Just a reminder about the meteor shower. From Pat at Born Again Redneck:

Perseid meteor shower

In the Middle Ages the Perseid meteor shower was known as "The Tears of Saint Lawrence" because it occurs on the anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence. This year it will be particularly spectacular because it's a new moon i.e. an invisible moon. If you've never see it before, treat yourself to some celestial fireworks. The first time I saw it, I gave up counting shooting-stars after I reached 52 in less than an hour. [...]

Read the rest for more details, pictures, links, and a NASA video too. And a link to my prior post on this topic.
     

Annual Perseid meteor shower is coming soon

Be sure and treat yourself to this natural wonder:

The 2007 peak of the Perseid meteor shower

[...] It’s expected to display the greatest number of meteors Sunday morning (August 12), late Sunday night and Monday morning (August 13) before dawn. But you’ll see some Perseids Saturday (August 11) before dawn, too.

The moon is new on Sunday, or between the Earth and sun. This new moon will leave the night sky dark all this weekend for the Perseid meteors. These meteors are named for the constellation Perseus the Hero. If you trace the paths of the meteors backwards, they seem to stream from this constellation.

You don’t need to identify Perseus to enjoy the meteor shower. The Perseids are an especially rich and dependable meteor shower. They shoot all across the sky – often leaving persistent trains – and occasionally lighting things up with bright fireballs. To watch the show, find a dark, open sky. Get away from city lights, and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. The Perseid shower favors northern hemisphere skywatchers. Again, the best time to watch: Sunday morning, late Sunday night and Monday morning before dawn. At its peak, the Perseids typically produce 60 or more meteors per hour. [...]

(bold emphasis mine) Last year, we watched for it and it was quite a show, although the moonrise made for less than optimal conditions. Still, I had never before witnessed such large, streaking meteors. And so many, so often! The viewing conditions this year promise to be even better than last year, if there are no clouds or fog.

If you have not seen the Perseid Meteor shower before, treat yourself this year and mark your calendar. It's really worth it! No photograph can do it justice; you must see it in action for yourself.

Dark sky to better view of Aug. meteor shower

[...] The Moon will be out of the way, leaving dark skies for good viewing as Earth plunges through an ancient stream of comet debris. Little bits, most no larger than sand grains, will vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, creating sometimes-dramatic "shooting stars."

"It's going to be a great show," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "The Moon is new on August 12, which means no moonlight, dark skies and plenty of meteors."

[...]

"The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity nominally yield 90 or 100 meteors per hour," said Joe Rao, Space.com's Skywatching columnist. "However, observers with exceptional skies often record even larger numbers." [...]

(bold emphasis mine) See the rest of the article for viewing tips.