Perseid Meteor Shower To Peak Soon
KOSCIUSKO — Millions of particles of comet dust are bombarding the atmosphere, putting on a spectacular nighttime show.
According to NASA, the annual Perseid meteor shower is currently at its peak, with 50 to 100 meteors per hour visible. The best viewing would be from a spot with as little artificial light as possible. Viewing time is from 10 p.m. to around dawn. Stargazers can expect the meteors to radiate from the northeast, from the constellation Perseus, from which the annual meteor shower gets its name.
If at first the show seems anticlimactic, NASA says to give it time. It can take up to 30 minutes for the human eye to adjust to the dark and to begin seeing some of the fainter meteors. However, according to NASA, the Perseid shower is known for “fireballs,” large explosions of color that can last longer than the usual streak across the sky.
The meteor shower is left over from the comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed this way in 1992 and will not reappear until the 2120s.
For those who are unable to catch this year’s Perseid show, take heart. The next major meteor shower will be the Orionids, which peak in October, followed by the Leonids in November and the Geminids in December. Other, smaller meteor showers take place throughout the year.