The annual Perseid meteor shower is considered to be one of the best celestial shows of the year, peaking late Sunday night into early Monday morning (Aug. 11-12).
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the best celestial shows of the year, will peak late Sunday night.
The good news is that there will be minimal interference from moonlight that could otherwise dim our view of the "shooting stars." The first quarter moon will set a little before midnight Sunday night, providing us with an opportunity to see the meteor shower between about midnight and 5 a.m., when Earth will turn in the direction of the oncoming meteors.
The most important element in viewing any meteor shower is the weather and sky conditions. Cloud cover and light fog can inhibit or block the view in Ohio, but that will not be the case this weekend. Mainly clear skies will provide ideal viewing Sunday night.
The annual Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a field of debris (pebbles, grains of dust) shed by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which journeys through the solar system every 134 years, in proximity to Earth’s orbit. The elusive comet, with a nucleus of 16 miles, last swung past the sun on its closest pass in 1992.
Meteoroids travel at speeds of 133,200 mph (37 miles per second) before hitting Earth's upper atmosphere (about 80 miles up). The thin streaks of light (meteors) are occur when the fragments burn up around 60 miles above Earth.
Although Earth moves through the leftover debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle between July 24 and Aug. 17, the greatest number of meteors will be visible on the night of Aug. 11-12.
The Perseids are best seen in dark, rural skies and will appear to emanate from the northern constellation Perseus, which is the radiant point. However, they will be visible in most parts of the sky.
Under ideal conditions, we could see 10-50 meteors per hour during the height of the meteor shower in an optimally dark setting.
The best way to view the meteor shower is to scout out a safe location well away from city lights that wash out all but the brightest meteors. Make sure you allow yourself up to a half-hour outside for your eyes to adjust to the nighttime sky, and just focus on a fixed point.
Rarely, a meteor fragment will reach Earth, classified as a meteorite.
