Delta Aquarids, Perseids: Watch Meteor Showers In Metro Detroit

DETROIT (the Patch) — After a dearth of few months, summer meteor showers are firing up, and now is a perfect time to scope out a dark sky near Metro Detroit. First up is the Delta Aquarid meteor shower. Consider it a dress rehearsal for the highly anticipated and sky-party worthy Perseid meteor shower. The two showers overlap in early August, and both are already active.

Over the next week, we're expecting sunny skies during the day and clear nights around 70 degrees in Metro Detroit.

The Delta Aquarids, which officially started July 12 and run through Aug. 23, favor the Southern Hemisphere, but the show is still visible from mid-northern latitudes. They'll peak here around July 28, producing around 10 to 20 meteors an hour. An approaching new moon on July 31-Aug. 1, will make for optimum viewing conditions.

The best viewing times are after midnight and before dawn, regardless of your time zones.

Earthsky.org says the best place to watch meteor showers Metro Detroit is the Cranbrook Institute of Science. The address is 39221 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills.
The Perseids, which began July 17 and last through Aug. 24, will likely produce about 10-15 visible meteors per hour because the moon will be very close to full during the peak dates, from around Aug.11-13.

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