Tega Cay, SC (Tega Cay Sun) – Get ready to witness the awe-inspiring Perseid meteor shower, a renowned event that will light up the skies of the Northern Hemisphere and reach a dazzling crescendo this weekend. Famous for its incredible display, the Perseid meteor shower of this year is set to be an event you won’t want to miss, made even more remarkable by the presence of an unusually dark sky.
According to NASA, North America can expect to see the most brilliant part of the shower from the night of August 12 to the morning of August 13, with the potential for up to 100 meteors per hour flashing across the sky if the conditions are right. These meteors, speeding along at an astonishing 37 miles per second (around 133,000 miles per hour), ignite the atmosphere as they rub against Earth’s atoms and molecules.
The Perseids are created from the remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which completes an orbit around the sun every 133 years and was last observable from Earth in 1992. Though the comet itself won’t appear again until 2125, its leftover debris fuels the brilliant Perseid meteor shower each August.
To enjoy this mesmerizing celestial event, plan to venture outside around 4 a.m. Eastern time on August 13, when our planet will move through the thickest part of the comet’s debris cloud. Don’t worry if you’re a little late or early, though; meteor activity will stay high all night, and the viewing conditions this year are predicted to be near ideal.
Unlike last year, when a full moon reduced visibility, the moon will be a mere 10 percent lit this time, resulting in a faint glow. To ensure the optimal viewing experience, find a spot away from city lights where the sky is clear and dark, lie down with your feet facing northeast, and allow time for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. Then enjoy the show!
Below is a short video of the Perseid meteor shower from 2020.
