Perseid Meteor Shower

And when we say August 12 or 13, we mean the morning hours after midnight … not that night. These typically fast and bright meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. But you don’t need to know Perseus to watch the shower. 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. 2010 is a great year for the Perseids. This year, the slender waxing crescent moon will set at early evening, leaving a dark sky for this year’s Perseid show. 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. On the mornings of August 12 and 13, watch the Perseid meteors streak across this short summer night from midnight until dawn. Lie back and watch meteors until dawn’s light washes the stars and planets from the sky. The morning of August 11 should be good, too – in fact, this shower tends to rise gradually to a peak for about a week. Then it’s known to drop off rapidly after the peak mornings.

You can start looking now. If you watch the north to north eastern part of the sky, you'll see two things that are very cool. You will probably will see a meteor. These happen so often, every night, that we tune them out. Actually, most people are not looking up. So get out the lawn chairs, a light blanket and your beverage of choice and enjoy a show better than anything on TV. Give it an hour and you will see a meteor.

The other thing? Pay close attention to the stars and you will see a satellite. You will probably see several. These are often mistaken for UFOs. It will seem like a star just started moving and they will disappear ot odd locations (depending on how high up they are). Lots of fun to spot satellites.

Get out and enjoy yourself. You will feel unusually refreshed. Why? Because connecting with nature is refreshing. Try it and you'll see.

Chris Reich