Best Places And Times To See The Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseid meteor shower is just about to ramp up to its most glorious show of the year, and here’s how you can witness the glory at its full potential. Every year, the Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August. Astronomers predict this year’s most intense activity to occur on the night of August 11th-12th.
While most meteors are destroyed during entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, some remain. here’s the crazy part. Some of the meteors you see are actually only the size of a grain of sand. The glow comes when the small particles turn into plasma as they enter our atmosphere. The trails can be seen brightly streaking across our nighttime skies. The meteors we will see are remnants of an exploded comet called Swift-Tuttle.
During most meteor showers, viewers can see about 60 to 80 meteors per hour if they are in a dark place. That means stay away from city lights and artificial light of any kind. The best place for viewing the meteor shower would be away from populated areas, such as open fields or other rural areas. Watchers can expect to see fewer meteors in general, as a full moon will also be present during the shower. Astronomers say the nights afterward will also be great for meteor watching, as the moon light will wane a bit. If you are trying to take pictures of the Perseid shower, use a DSLR camera and set the exposure time to very long periods (5-10 minutes) and aim your camera at about 30 degrees northeast. See you in the country! Source: WFLA.com
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