One of the year’s best meteor showers is coming up this weekend! The Perseids meteor shower has been active since July 14, but the peak is set to occur this weekend throughout the night August 11 until the early morning hours on August 12.
The Perseids meteor shower occurs due to a comet named 109P/Swift-Tuttle moving at high speeds and at very hot temperatures as it travels through Earth’s atmosphere during its annual pass.
Here are some helpful tips on how to view it!
Very similar to how our eyes need to adjust to the light in the morning, our eyes need to adjust to the darkness, as well. This process takes about 30 minutes when looking at the dark sky.
Look towards the constellation Perseus, which tends to follow the constellation Cassiopeia in the northern sky. This is where the Perseids appear to radiate from.
Make the drive out of the city where there is little-to-no light pollution to get the best view of the meteor shower. Again, you will need to let your eyes adjust to the dark sky.
The moon will be in its first quarter phase during the peak. This means that the moon is halfway between the new moon and full moon phases. You can still see a decent amount of meteors—even with the moon at 50% brightness!
Here is a look at how much cloud cover Houston could see during the meteor shower! Return flow from the Gulf of Mexico brings in extra moisture, allowing for us to be able to have some passing clouds after midnight.
Don’t forget to bring a chair, some water, and most importantly, be patient when catching a glimpse of the celestial spectacle!
Not only can we see the Perseids meteor shower this weekend, but there are two other active meteor showers right now: the alpha Capricornids and the Southern delta Aquariids.
The alpha Capricornids are active until August 15 but are nowhere near as strong as the Perseids. The Capricornids tend to originate from the constellation of Capricornus.
The Southern delta Aquariids are active until August 21 and are primarily seen in the southern tropics. It is most radiant from the constellation of Aquarius. However, it is still possible to see them when looking towards the south, or southwest if the moon is above the horizon.
Meteorologist Daji Aswad spoke with Hannah Lange, an astronomer at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, about why we can see this meteor shower.