HOUSTON — The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend and this year's show could be one of the best yet!
Why? Well, sky viewing conditions look ideal, meaning mainly clear skies, plus the moon will only be 10% full, making for a darker sky. This would tend to enable even the fainter meteors to be visible causing a higher meteor rate per hour.
“If you’ve got nice clear weather and a good dark sky, you go out just before dawn and you’ll see a Perseid per minute or so,” said NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke. “That’s a pretty good show.”
Will Perseid be visible in Houston?
Yes! However, it's best to find a viewing location away from city lights that will wash out fainter meteors.
What causes the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus but are the result of Earth passing through the debris field of a comet, in this case, Comet Swift-Tuttle. Each meteor is a tiny piece of comet dust that burns up in the Earth's atmosphere resulting in a brief burst of light.
This meteor shower is typically one of the better to view throughout the year. You can expect, on average, to view up to 100 meteors per hour during the peak! For best viewing head away from city lights that cause light pollution.
When is the best time to view the Perseid Meteor Shower?
Looking to the northeast in the pre-dawn hours is the best time to view the shower. Although meteors should be visible all night. The peak is Saturday and Sunday.
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