Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Coming This Weekend
(CBS Local) - The annual Perseid meteor shower is coming this weekend.
The Perseid shower is the most popular meteor shower every year. NASA meteor specialist Bill Cooke told Space.com that the moon will play an important role in this year's Perseid shower. "This year the moon will be near new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will set before the Perseid show gets underway after midnight," Cooke said.
Cooke adds that sky watchers will be able to see the shower starting on Aug. 11 and it will continue through the night of Aug. 12 into Aug. 13.
According to Space.com, during peak people should see about 60-70 meteors per hour. 2016 was an outburst year, which means the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour.
The Franklin Institute's Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts says the mountains, the shore and anywhere you find a dark night sky are optimal spots for viewing.
"While folks are on vacation up in the mountains or at the shore, somewhere the sky is darker than in the inner city environment, it would be a great time to look for meteors."
[H/T CBS Philly]