Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight and the weather across Central Alabama will cooperate for viewing. The best time to see meteors will be between midnight and dawn. For best results, get away from city lights under a clear, dark sky. Face northeast in a lawn chair or sleeping bag and look about halfway up in the sky.

You will see the familiar “W” of Cassiopeia. Just below that will be a wishbone shaped constellation. This is Perseus. The meteors will appear to originate from the top of Perseus. Be patient and keep scanning this area. You could see as many as a dozen meteors per hour. As you get close to dawn, the spectacle will be highlighted by a thin moon, Jupiter and Venus.

NOT FALLING STARS: Did you know that the meteors are not “falling stars”? They are specks of dust and other comet debris from the Swift-Tuttle Comet. AS the Earth plows through the debris trail of the comet, the particles are thrust into the atmosphere as high speed. The gases heat to the point that they glow. Here hoping you catch some bright ones tonight!

Category: Alabama's Weather