Tonight and tomorrow night is the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. On both nights, the bright Moon will wash out the sky. But after it sets, prime meteor watching begins! Tonight, after 1:30 a.m. (8/12), begin observing from a dark spot away from city lights. Tomorrow night begin about 2:30 a.m. (8/13). If the weather cooperates, you may see several dozen meteors per hour. The published rates are higher because those values take into account the unobserved meteors streaking behind you and the dimmer meteors that are difficult to spot.
Good luck!
Such is our view from Earth ...
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2 comments:
I managed to see about a dozen just now in my backyard near Northside High School. I'm not really sure where to go around Roanoke to get away from the lights to see better. Any suggestions?
The lights from any city are always a problem for stargazers. The sky glow from within Roanoke will prevent any dimmer meteors from being seen. If you are up to a short drive, the first overlook on the Explore Park spur off the Blue Ridge Parkway has very open skies which are relatively dark.
Between 1:30 and 2:30 this morning, I counted about a dozen also. There were a few brights ones, and a few dim ones. We were fortunate with the weather!
--CS
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