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Perseid Meteor Shower Nearing Its Peak

This evening, the sky could display 50 to 100 meteors per hour

As we approach mid-August, outdoor barbeques aren’t the only thing that will be peaking in the northern hemisphere. The famous Perseid Meteor Shower will be lighting up the night’s sky between Aug. 5 and Aug. 13.

August is sometimes referred to as “meteor month” due to the reputation the Perseid shower has for putting on an amazing show. It has been known to display anywhere between 50 and 100 meteors per hour. The large number of meteors allows for both experts and amateurs to enjoy the beauty of this event.

The annual meteor shower is caused by the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 130 years. Each time the comet passes by the sun it leaves behind pieces of rock and dust. When the Earth passes through this debris the small pieces of dirt burn up in our atmosphere. This causes a very impressive display known as a meteor shower. The last time Swift-Tuttle made its journey near the sun was in 1992.

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This year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will be peaking on the night of Aug. 13. Unfortunately, the full moon will be crashing the party and blanketing the night sky with its light. This light will make it difficult to clearly see the shooting stars streak across the sky, leaving trails of color in their path.

Due to the Aug. 13 full moon, the best time to view the meteor shower will be during the predawn hours on Friday morning.

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The sky is expected to be clear tonight with a low temperature of 62 degrees, which, despite the moon, allows for the perfect conditions for watching the Perseid shower. Grab a blanket, some friends, and plan on giving your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness so that you will be able to view as many meteors as possible.

The moon sets at 3:50 a.m. and the sun rises at 6:04 a.m., so it would be a good idea to plan to lay outside between the hours of 4 and 5 a.m. to get the most out of this natural spectacle.

The next chance to see a meteor shower in 2011 will occur on Oct. 7 and 8. This shower is known as the Draconids, which usually only produces a handful of visible meteors. This year however, the Draconids are predicted to possibly shoot hundreds or more per hour. The large moon may be making another appearance lessoning this show as well.

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