Perseids Could Feature 200 Meteors Per Hour
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's a bird, it's a plane. . . nope, it's pieces of comet debris burning up as they streak through our atmosphere!
Sound like fun? We could be in for a terrific "space show" tonight as our Earth passes through a dense pack of debris left behind from 1992 when the Comet Swift-Tuttle passed by.
The Perseids are an annual show, but this year could be extra special. Many experts are predicting an "outburst," meaning we could see up to 200 meteors per hour, more than double the typical Perseid show.
So how can you improve your odds of seeing meteors tonight?
Here are a few tips:
- Find a spot where you can see a large expanse of sky.
- Go to an area with as little artificial light as possible.
- Be patient. Grab a chair, lean back and give your eyes time to adjust. Plan on an hour or so outdoors.
- Stay up late! The moon will be setting around 1 a.m. Less moonlight = better viewing. Peak viewing should be between 1-4 a.m.
- Avoid the clouds - this could be the fly in the ointment tonight. We expect partly cloudy skies for most of the area, however some patchy fog/low clouds are likely, especially along the South Coast and over the Cape and Islands.
Finally, if you were concerned about one of the meteors becoming a meteorite (a meteor that makes it all the way down to the Earth's surface), don't sweat it. Most of the Perseids are much too small to survive the trip…the majority are only as big as a grain of sand.
Enjoy the show!
Follow Terry on Twitter @TerryWBZ
