Perseid Meteor Shower 2013 Live Streaming & Peak Times in Colorado, Hawaii: 'Fireball Champion' Of Meteor Showers?
Stargazers are in for a treat this year as the annual Perseid meteor shower commences yet again this Sunday night through Monday morning. According to ABC News, this year's Perseid meteor shower is going to be even more dazzling, with chances of seeing about 60 to 100 shooting stars per hour without the need for binoculars!
NASA official Bill Cooke told ABC News that the best time to see the showers is right before dawn. The space agency also recently referred to this year's Perseid meteor shower as the "fireball champion" of all annual meteor showers.
"We have found that one meteor shower produces more fireballs than any other," Cooke said in NASA's official website. "It's the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on Aug. 12 and 13."
The Perseid meteor shower is due to Comet Swift-Turtle. Every year in August the Earth passes through a cloud of dust from the comet, resulting in a meteor shower. "Comet Swift-Tuttle has a huge nucleus -- about 26 km in diameter," said Cooke. "Most other comets are much smaller, with nuclei only a few kilometers across. As a result, Comet Swift-Tuttle produces a large number of meteoroids, many of which are large enough to produce fireballs."
For those in Colorado, Spacedex suggests that sky watching be done from 11:00 p.m. on Aug. 11 to 4:30 a.m. the following day as these are the peak hours for observation. The best hours to observe the Perseid meteor shower is in the morning of Aug. 12 and in the morning of Aug. 13 when there is less moonlight. The Perseid meteor shower in Colorado is expected to have a shower rate of 15 to 30 per hour.
Hawaii is also one of the best places to observe the annual shower, says Hawaii 24/7
The annual light show peaks all throughout the night of Aug. 11 until the wee hours in the morning of Aug. 12 at around 2 a.m. Although the Perseid meteor shower will be seen all across the sky in Hawaii, look towards the northeast for the best view.
You may also watch the live online streaming of the 2013 Perseid meteor shower via the video below.
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