Perseid meteor shower will light up night sky this week

One of the year’s most fascinating meteor showers will be visible over the entire United States on Thursday night through Friday morning, but don’t expect to see it where there’s light.

"There will be more to see after midnight," Michael Bakich, senior editor/photo editor of ASTRONOMY Magazine, said of the Perseid meteor shower. "That’s when our part of the Earth is facing toward the particles in space.

"The Perseid meteor shower is the ultimate astronomy family activity," he said. "No equipment is needed, and a telescope can actually restrict your view. The meteors are much brighter when the human eye views them. An event such as this teaches us the universe isn’t just a static place. We are constantly moving through space."

A meteor is a piece of dust or tiny piece of rock in space that Earth runs into as it orbits the sun, according to Bakich.

Bakich said the best way to observe a meteor shower is to recline in a lawn chair. Before midnight Thursday, look halfway to the east and after midnight look overhead.

"Glancing around doesn’t hurt anything," said Bakich. "Look around and it is so easy to observe the showers. The darker your site and the farther you are from lights, the more meteors you see."

Although outer space will offer us a show, Mother Nature may thwart some people's viewing plans. Clouds will obscure the meteors.

But if the sky is clear over your head, expect to see an average of 60 to 100 meteors per hour this year.

"This year is really good because the moon will not interfere with the meteor showers," Bakich said. "The moon will be a thin crescent Thursday night and set fairly after sunset. There will be no light spreading in the sky."

Bakich said viewers could capture the event using a still camera or video camera.

"It is best to keep the shutter open at one-minute exposures," he said. "Usually most cameras will capture the brighter meteors unless you have a very expensive camera."

Bakich said the Perseid meteor shower might not be the best meteor shower, but it is the most popular because it takes place every year during the summertime when it is warm and pleasant.

So how did this particular meteor shower get its name?

"If you traced back all the paths of the meteors, they originate with the constellation Perseus," Bakich said. "The meteor showers are named for the constellation from which they come out of based on the direction the Earth is headed during the time of year."
        
"This is such an easy event to watch," Bakich said. "I have seen over 30 Perseid showers in my life. You don’t have to gear for this specific event. It doesn’t last just one second and then it’s over. It is relaxing, rewarding, and lasts all night long."

Bakich suggests bringing a lawn chair, snacks, bug spray, and a blanket when viewing the event.

"It is like a nighttime picnic," he said. "Just remember the darker the site, the better the show."
    
For more information about meteors and how to view them visit www.astronomy.com. The site has updated blogs, pod casts, videos on how to observe a meteor shower, and pictures.

The MetroWest Daily News