If you’re anything like me and only know about the astronomical events that hit you in the face, you may be wondering what precisely the Perseid is. Well, wonder no further. The Perseid is a meteor shower, which is an occurrence that happens when rocks crash through the earth’s atmosphere fast enough to leave a fiery tale in their trail. It also originates from a specific point in the sky, the Perseus constellation, hence its name. This shower is one of the most plentiful meteor showers, with 50-100 meteors per hour. Back in 1992, the Comet Swift-Tuttle last flew close to the earth, and we are still flying by its leftover pieces of debris, making the Perseid meteor shower an annual occurrence.
An Event You Can’t Miss!
Is the catch that only northern states can view this meteor shower? Nope! You can see it as long as you are in the northern hemisphere down to mid-southern latitudes. That means everyone in the United States can view this meteor shower. The best time to see the event in person will be after midnight on August 11 and until the sun rises on August 12. But don’t worry, viewing the event is still possible on August 13 as well. You won’t need a telescope or binoculars to see it, either. Just look for the constellation Perseus and observe.
If you live in an area with too much light pollution, there will be a virtual live stream of the meteor shower on the Virtual Telescope Web TV.
So, gather some hats and gloves and brew enough coffee to keep you awake for a few hours; this is an astronomical event you will not want to miss. Happy viewing!
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