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If you love seeing shooting stars then prepare yourself for August’s annual Perseids meteor shower as it is expected to boast upto 2 meteors ever minute during it’s peak time. Even better is that the moon will be out of the way which means even fainter meteors will be visible.

So what exactly are the Perseids?

The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are called so because the point they appear to be coming from, called the radiant, is in the constellation of Perseus. However, they can be spotted all around the sky. Because of the positioning of Swift-Tuttle’s orbit, Perseids are mostly visible on the northern hemisphere.

The shower is visible from mid-July each year, but the bulk of its activity falls between August 8 and 14 with a peak on August 12. During the peak, rates of a hundred or more meteors per hour can be registered.

The best way to observe the Perseids this August would be to find a comfortable spot with a clear view of the northeast horizon, away from local lights. A dark rural location is best. Lie back on a blanket or lounge chair and scan the entire sky. In the late evening, starting around 9 p.m. local time, sharp-eyed observers might see “earthgrazing” meteors that skim the northeast horizon. Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful - pretty amazing to look at.

Click here for info on how to observe Perseids meteor shower. 

A couple of weeks after, get ready for a total lunar eclipse…

I’d say prepare yourself for August and let’s all hope for good weather. Clear skies!

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