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Things to Know About the Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid Meteor Shower is at it's peak Aug. 11 through Aug. 12. Here are some tips on where to see it.

Story written by Beatrice Karnes.

The Perseid meteor shower is underway and will continue through Aug. 24. The peak viewing will be Aug. 11–12. Stargazers could see upward of 60 meteorites flash per hour.

According to Astronomy.com, the Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year: It will occur on a night when the moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means the moonlight will interfere only slightly with your view of the meteors.

>Watch the YouTube video uploaded here for more information on Perseids, via NASA.

You don't even need a telescope. Just spread out a blanket, perhaps a late-night picnic, lay back and enjoy!  

Find out what's happening in Dexterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perseid Meteor Trivia:

  • Mankind has looked up at the Perseids for nearly 2,000 years.
  • The Perseids are remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which orbits the sun every 133 years.
  • These bits of comet "ice and dust" are more than 1,000 years old.
  • These meteors travel 37 miles per second.
  • The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing opportunities will be across the northern hemisphere.
  • Those with sharp eyes will see that the meteors radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus, which forms an inverted "Y" shape and is in the northeast.
  • Some of the meteorites are as small as a grain of sand, but they have the kinetic energy of a nuclear bomb!
  • If you see a very slow, bright object sailing across the sky, it's either a satellite or a Space Station.

Where and how to view:

Find out what's happening in Dexterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • The best time to view will be Aug. 11 and 12.
  • Avoid city lights. The farther you get from town, the better your view will be.

Need a recommendation on where to go? The Brighton State Recreation Area will host "Meteors and S'Mores" on Aug. 9 and Wolcott Mill Metropark's Camp Rotary will be holding a "Meteor Watch" event in Ray Township on Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.

Together with Metropark interpreters, the Warren Astronomical Society offers its use of equipment and its volunteers' knowledge free of charge. For more information, visit metroparks.com.



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