Long Island Astronomy: Meteor Shower

Monday, August 8, 2011

Perseids Meteor Shower August 12th & 13th

The Perseid meteors were shed from the Comet Swift-Tuttle, at some point in the past, and appear to come from a point (called the radiant) in the constellation of Perseus. When they hit the atmosphere, they will be traveling at a fairly high rate of speed and often have long trails behind them.

Start watching for the Perseids in the first week of August. They will be building gradually to their peak. By the second week of August, the moon will begin interfering with the skies between midnight and dawn. On the mornings of August 12 and 13, you can still watch for some Perseid meteors to streak across the summer night from midnight until dawn.

Unfortunately, the full moon will spoil 2011′s Perseid display, obscuring all but the brighter meteors, during the shower’s actual peak. But you will see Perseids in the weeks leading up to the peak, too, if you have dark skies. These typically fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. You don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower because the meteors appear in all parts of the sky.

The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year’s best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour – in years when the moon is out of the sky. However, 2011 is not a great year for the Perseids, because the moon is full on the expected peak date. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn. These meteors are often bright and frequently leave persistent trains.