Perseid Meteor Shower 2013: Dates, Time, Where to Watch
After a dazzling supermoon last June, another impressive celestial occurrence will be happening in the night sky this August. The Perseid meteor shower will blaze across the sky this coming month.
Meteor showers are always a thrill to watch in the night sky; watching these glittering sparklers is magical. What makes the Perseid meteor shower a phenomenon is that it produces more fireballs than any other meteor shower.
According to Spacedex, the "Perseids" are the most famous and extraordinary of all meteor showers "due to its appearance during the summer and consistently remarkable display."
Moreover, NASA describes this galactic event as the "fireball champion of annual meter showers."
"We have found that one meteor shower produces more fireballs than any other: it's the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 12th and 13th," Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office explained in a news release published on NASA Science News.
According to NASA, a fireball is a very bright meteor -- as bright as Jupiter and Venus. While these fireballs are nothing unusual, NASA says when the Earth passes through the "debris stream of a comet" fireballs become numerous. This is exactly what will happen in August.
NASA wrote:
The Perseid meteor shower comes from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year in early- to mid-August, Earth passes through a cloud of dust sputtered off the comet as it approaches the sun. Perseid meteoroids hitting our atmosphere at 132,000 mph produce an annual light show that is a favorite of many backyard sky watchers.
When is it best to watch the night sky and observe these celestial fireballs? Spacedex says the meteor shower is active from Jul. 23 to Aug. 22; however, the Perseid meteor shower will peak on Aug. 11 and 12.
People from all over the world can see a glimpse of this amazing night sky show. To view the perfect time and date to view this phenomenon, visit Spacedex's Persied page here.