The most impressive meteor shower of the summer is peaking this week. Now we just have to find some clear night skies.
The Perseids meteor shower will peak on the evening of August 11, and the early morning hours of August 12. The Perseids will still continue to shower our sky for a few days after the peak, but with not as many meteors per hour.
Mike Murray, astronomer at the Delta College Planetarium, says the Perseids have been known to shoot 100 meteors across our sky in one hour during the peak hours. Murray also states the Perseids are known for fireballs, which are bright, glowing tails, and are known for yellow vapor trails.
While we can see some meteors before midnight, the highest numbers of meteors occur after midnight. Those later meteors are also more visible because they are higher in the sky.
The last few years it seems like the moon was always in the wrong phase, throwing light in the sky. This year the good news is the moon will be a crescent moon and set before midnight. We won’t have any light competition from the moon in the sky as the meteors peak.
Now can we find some clear skies? The night of the peak is happening in a pattern that can bring nighttime thunderstorms. The good news is nighttime thunderstorms usually have the smallest cloud shield surrounding a storm. Unless you are getting hit by a thunderstorm, you should be able to see stars at night, and the Perseids.
Thursday night could have patchy clouds again, but Friday night looks clear.
Check the weather, and if clear skies are forecast, you may want to stay up after midnight Wednesday night, Thursday night or Friday night. If you want to see the peak hours, you’ll have to hope for clear skies Wednesday night.