Our annual "Broadway-Show-In-The-Sky" is here this weekend with the Perseid Meteor Showers.
While it will be visible tonight through Sunday night, it will peak early Sunday morning, just before dawn, when we could see one meteor per minute.
We have a front-row seat here on Florida’s east coast because it takes place in the northeast sky. For the best view, we recommend getting away from the city lights if you can.
Experts say to ditch the binoculars or telescope and just use your eyes to see the shooting stars.
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The dust and debris from each Perseid hit the top of Earth’s atmosphere at thirty-seven miles per second.
It is visible anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and will be extra special this year because the moon is very low in the sky and only ten percent illuminated.
This should give us a great view all weekend but especially Saturday night.
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What are the Perseids?
The Perseids — one of the biggest meteor showers we can see — occur every year in the late summer. Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through fields of debris floating around in space. The Perseids come from comet Swift-Tuttle, a big ball of ice and rock that sheds pieces of dusty debris as it orbits around the sun. When the Earth passes by, those bits get caught in our atmosphere and burn up, creating the streaking lights. The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus, because the meteors’ paths appear to start out from this point in the sky.
How can I see them?
During this weekend’s peak, the moon will be a waning crescent — just a small slice in the sky. That’s good news because a bright moon can make it harder to spot the meteors. Last year, the moon was full during the peak. Anyone in the Northern Hemisphere will have a good view this year, as long as the sky is clear of light pollution and clouds. You don’t need any equipment to see them, but you will need to give your eyes around half an hour to adjust to the dark. Avoid looking at your cellphone since that can ruin your night vision.
The Perseids can appear anywhere in the sky. So just “lie on your back, look away from the moon and take in as much sky as you can,” Cooke said.
