How to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower This Weekend

Anyone who was disappointed by the brightness of the nearly full moon obscuring the 2017 Perseid meteor shower will have a chance to turn their stargazing luck around this month. This year’s Perseid meteor shower will be highly visible both Saturday (August 11) and Sunday night (August 12) when it reaches its peak, giving watchers ample opportunity to spot plenty of shooting stars. “The Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower because they’re a summer watching event when people are often more relaxed, kids don’t have to be up early for school, and the weather is so much more accommodating than in the colder fall or winter months,” Dr. Jacqueline Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, tells TIME. This Perseid meteor shower will take place during a nearly new moon—meaning it won’t interfere with the show—and is expected to be the best meteor shower this year. Unfortunately, there’s always the chance that bad weather like fog or rain will create unfavorable viewing conditions. Be sure to check your local weather forecast. And if you want to know how to pronounce “Perseid” correctly, it sounds a little like “Purse-y-id.” Here’s a video from NASA to help. When is the best time to see the meteor shower? Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty ImagesA meteor during the Perseid meteor shower seen from near Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park So when is the ...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Meteor Showers perseid meteor shower space Source Type: news