Every August, as the Summer begins to hit it’s slow but winding end, the stars above show us that there is more to life than our day to day routine as rocks speed overhead and rates incalculable to the average person and we gaze at the delight that is the Perseids Meteor Shower.
Unfortunately, due to a full moon at this year’s peak, Perseids will be fainter than usual, according to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, who in an interview with Space.com said, “The Perseids are rich in fireballs, so you’ll still see Perseids ; you just won’t see the show you’ve seen on nights when the moon has not been around.”
Here are a few ways to get the best Perseids viewing experience, which will occur August 12-13:
- Head to the darkest location around and lay on your back to see as much of the night sky as possible.
- Perseids will be increasingly visible after 10pm CST all the way to dawn.
- Mars will be visible until 4pm, Saturn until 2am and Venus and Jupiter prior to Perseids peaking.
- Remember patience.
- It takes around 30 minutes for your yes to adjust to the darkness around you.
- Once adjusted, you should see roughly 60-70 meteors per hour.
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