![]() If you’re driving at a moderate rate of speed, the snow flies past on nearly parallel paths that appear to focus in the distance the same way parallel railroad tracks converge. ![]() As you accelerate, you’ll notice that the flakes appear to radiate from a point directly in front of you, while the snow off to the sides streams away in long trails. That’s the direction from which they all appear to stream out of like bats flying out of a cave.Īnother way to picture the radiant it is to imagine driving through a snowstorm at night. ![]() Shower meteors will show up in every corner of the sky, but can all be traced backwards to a point in Perseus called the radiant. I’m always asked what’s the best direction to face. This map shows the sky facing northeast around 12:30 a.m. The Perseids appear to radiate from spot below the W of Cassiopeia in the constellation Perseus, hence the shower’s name. August nights can bring chill and dew a light coat and hat will make your that much more comfortable especially if you’re out for an hour or more. Lie back on a folding lawn chair with your favorite pillow and bring a blanket to stay warm. Meteor showers are best enjoyed in a reclining position with as little neck craning as possible. As always, the darker and less light polluted your observing site, the more zips and zaps you’ll see.įind a place where there’s as few stray lights as possible, the better to allow your eyes to dark-adapt. How many meteors will you see? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-100 meteors per hour. CDT (8 UT) August 13 - early morning hours across North America when the Perseid radiant is highest. Not only will the Moon be absent, but the shower maximum happens around 3 a.m. The author takes in last year’s moon-drenched Perseids from a recliner. One of the world’s most beloved cosmic spectacles, this year’s show promises to be a real crowd pleaser. Slamming into our atmosphere at 130,000 mph, the crumbles flash to light as the Perseid meteor shower. Every year in mid-August, Earth plows headlong into the debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
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