What’s often the best meteor shower of the year—the Perseids—is predicted to be even better when the shooting stars appear in the night sky later this week. Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of August 11-12, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour. An outburst is a meteor shower with more meteors than usual. This occurs when Earth passes through the heart of the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle as it orbits around the sun. The meteors are actually tiny dust and particles. The particles, many no bigger than a grain of sand or a pea, disintegrate as they blast into our atmosphere at 132,000 mph, making a brilliant flash of light. Meteor showers are named for the constellation out of which they appear to come. Look for the constellation Perseus in the northeastern portion of the sky. No special equipment is needed to enjoy the spectacle, just a dark sky and some patience. Early morning sky watchers will be rewarded with a dark backdrop for meteors. On August 12, the waxing gibbous moon, which will be about 70 percent illuminated, will set by 1 a.m. The meteors will then be directly overhead in the moonless hours before dawn.
