There’s a free light show this week!
By Donald McBrayer
I sat out last night with friends and a glass of merlot and watched dozens of shooting stars streak overhead. The Perseid Meteor shower peeks on the 12th, but it can still be enjoyed all weekend.
The best way to spot Perseid Meteors is to go to a dark location after 10PM (most backyards are just fine for this), and look to the Northeast, toward the constellation Cassiopeia (the star formation that looks like a big W). Below Cassiopeia is the constellation Perseus. It is from here the meteors seem to originate, and why they are so named. They tend to shoot along an east to west path through the Big Dipper. You’ll know them when you see them. On average you should see one every four to five minutes, and less frequently as the weekend passes. The meteors are dust remnants from Comet Swift-Tuttle that passed through Earth’s orbit a few years back. As our part of the planet takes point in the late evening through this region of Earth’s orbit, the remaining comet dust enters our atmosphere much like bugs hitting a windshield. It’s just as fun to watch with no messy cleanup.
Kids love them, and it’s more memorable than anything on TV.
Posted: August 13th, 2009 under General News.