The 2015 Perseid meteor shower will peak on August
11, 12 and 13. A new moon on August 14, 2015 will create perfect conditions for
watching the meteor shower.
Radiant of the Perseid meteor shower.Based on NASA
illustration
When Can I See the Perseids?
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the brighter
meteor showers of the year, occur every year between July 17
andAugust 24.
The shower tends to peak around August 9-13.
The best time to view the Perseids, or most other
meteor showers is when the sky is the darkest. Most astronomers suggest that
depending on the Moon’s phase, the best time to view meteor showers is right
before dawn.
Comet Swift-Tuttle
Made of tiny space debris from the comet
Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus. This is
because the direction, or radiant, from which the shower seems to come in the
sky lies in the same direction as the constellation Perseus, which can be found
in the north-eastern part of the sky.
While the skies light up several time a year by other meteor
showers , the Perseids are widely sought after by astronomers and
stargazers. This is because at its peak, one can see 60 to a 100 meteors in an
hour from a dark place.
Where Can I See the Perseids?
The Perseids can be seen in the Northern
Hemisphere. Look between the radiant, which will be in the north-east part of the
sky and the zenith (the point in sky directly above you).
While you can easily see a shooting star with the
naked eye just looking straight up, the table below shows the exact direction
of the Perseids from your location.
Location in the sky tonight
Slight chance to see Perseids, table below is
updated daily and shows position for coming night.
Direction to see the Perseids in the sky:
Azimuth is the direction, based on true north, a compass might show a slightly different value.
Altitude is height in degrees over horizon.
Note that this is not the prime period to watch the Perseids, so there may be few or no meteors visible this night.
Set your location ▸
How to Watch Meteor Showers
Check the weather: Meteors, or shooting stars, are easy to spot, all you need is clear skies and a pair of eyes.
Get out of town: Find a place as far away as possible from artificial lights
Prepare to wait: Bring something to sit or lie down on. Star gazing is a waiting game, so get comfortable.
www.timeanddate.com
Direction to see the Perseids in the sky:
Azimuth is the direction, based on true north, a compass might show a slightly different value.
Altitude is height in degrees over horizon.
Note that this is not the prime period to watch the Perseids, so there may be few or no meteors visible this night.
Set your location ▸
How to Watch Meteor Showers
Check the weather: Meteors, or shooting stars, are easy to spot, all you need is clear skies and a pair of eyes.
Get out of town: Find a place as far away as possible from artificial lights
Prepare to wait: Bring something to sit or lie down on. Star gazing is a waiting game, so get comfortable.
www.timeanddate.com
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