Perseid Meteor Shower Expected To Give Stargazers Quite A Show
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's the Super Bowl of meteor showers and it's set to peak on Thursday night.
Like America's Big Game, the Perseid meteor shower is a yearly event that is easily accessible to all. All you will need is a dark clear sky and a little patience and you could be rewarded with seeing maybe a meteor per minute.
Most of the activity will center on views off to the northeast.
You may be surprised to know that the Perseid meteor shower begins every year around July 17. It peaks in the middle of August. It officially lasts through the Aug. 25. This year, NASA experts expect the meteor shower to peak Aug. 11-12. Annually, the meteor shower peaks between Aug. 9-13.
The meteor shower is due to the Earth's interaction with the remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteor shower is named after the constellation Persieds.
For Western Pennsylvania, seeing this year's peak may be a challenge due to both a rather full moon (Aug. 18) along with a chance for rain on Thursday night.
But, any breaks in clouds could certainly be spectacular due to the amount of meteors possibly seen.
With 60-100 meteors an hour, there will be plenty of action for those with a clear view to the heavens.
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