What August 2009 event will have shooting stars and when will it occur?
Tonight, Los Angeles skies will be filled with shooting stars. No, it’s not a Hollywood hunting party. Tonight is peak viewing time for the Perseid meteor shower. Every year since at least AD 258, the Perseid meteor shower has been observed as Earth passes through dust and debris from the Swift-Tuttle Comet of Perseus every August. This colorful display of shooting stars begins in July, but peaks in visibility on August 11th and August 12th. Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office states, “Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on August 12th. Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour.” The light of the waning moon may obstruct some of the visuals but meteor rates are speculated as high as 200 per hour; this almost guarantees an impressive show even if only a small percentage of the meteors are visible. Sources:
