JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Perseid meteor shower, one of the best of the year will peak next month with dozens of shooting stars per hour visible to the naked eye.
The Perseids are caused by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.
As the comet orbits the sun, it leaves a trail of dust and debris behind it. When Earth passes through this trail, the debris burns up in the atmosphere, creating meteors.
The shower will peak on the night of Saturday, Aug. 12, into the early morning of Sunday, Aug. 13.
Conditions will be ideal for viewing. The moon will be in the “new moon” phase, which means that it will appear dark from our view.
The new moon will occur on Aug. 12, which means it won’t wash out the faint meteors. If the moon were full, it would be very bright, which would make viewing difficult.
Around 90 meteors or more an hour will be possible to view at the peak of the shower.
To see the Perseids, find a dark location away from city lights. You don’t need binoculars or a telescope to see the meteors, but they will be easier to see if you have a clear view of the sky.