Meteor Shower Madness: The Magic of the Perseids

NASA/Preston Dyches

Meteors come from comet particles and bits of broken asteroids.  When comets pass by the sun, they leave debris trails.  Every year, the Earth passes through these, and when it does, the pieces of debris collide with the atmosphere and create fiery streaks in the sky.  This is known as a meteor shower.

The Perseids are perhaps the most spectacular meteor shower of the year.  The meteors get their name from the constellation Perseus, which is where they appear to visibly emanate from.  The meteors don't originate there; they just appear in that section of the sky.  Perseids often leave long streaks of light behind as they soar through the atmosphere.  You can often see between 50 and 100 meteors an hour during this shower!

The Perseids peak in mid-August, but are visible in the sky until about September 1st.  In fact, the best time to watch the Perseids is tonight!  Starting around midnight, the moon will set, leaving a dark sky in the perfect condition to watch the show (if the weather cooperates, of course).  The best time to watch the Perseids is generally in the pre-dawn hours, but it is sometimes possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10 PM.

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