INDIANAPOLIS – It’s time for the best meteor shower of the year! The Perseids peak this weekend.
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most popular because of its relatively higher rate of meteors. This means you have a much better chance of spotting them in the night sky. Jane Houston Jones with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory says, “Observers should be able to see between 60 and 70 per hour at the peak.” That happens on the nights of August 11th and 12th.
The best advice for seeing the fast moving fireballs is to get away from city lights. Take in as much dark sky as possible to increase your chances of seeing the show high above. We’re also near a new moon. That means moonlight won’t be washing out any of the faint meteors. Houston says, “Your best window of observation is from a few hours after twilight until dawn.”
Our weather should cooperate for viewing. Skies become partly to mostly clear both Saturday and Sunday nights.
