90 MilliMeters

Archive for July, 2010

Perseid meteor shower

Have you ever watched a meteor shower? The Perseids is one of the best to observe. This shower can produce up to 60 meteors an hour at it’s peak which should occur on the night of August 12/13 this year. This year we’re in for a moonless night so viewing will be better then it has been since 2007. The best view will most likely be late on the 12th around 11:00 PM and into the early morning hours. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus, which will be rising in the northeast. From a dark site you can expect to see as many as 90+ meteors per hour. Here at the 90 MilliMeter Observatory where light pollution is a problem, we my see as little as 60 to 70 meteors an hour.

The Perseid meteor shower results from debris from the comet 109p/Swift-Tuttle, who’s orbit won’t cross Earth’s path again until 2126. As comets orbit the Sun, they shed a debris stream along the way. If Earth happens to pass through this stream we see a meteor shower.

Treat meteor observing as you would any other observing session. Take bug spray, food, water, a red filtered flash light and this time include a lawn chair so you can sit back and enjoy the show. You won’t need a telescope or binoculars, just your eyes will do for this event.