Meteor shower promises spectacular show

by Rich Bowden - Aug 10 2008, 22:50

An annual meteor shower best viewed in the northern hemisphere has stargazers waiting in anticipation this week.

Img: Perseid meteor against Milky Way backdrop. Credit: Mila Zinkova

Known as the meteors of the Perseids, because they originate from the direction of the constellation Perseus, the most spectacular time for viewing the event is predicted to be August 11 and 12. The shower comes from the tail of the comet "Swift-Tuttle" which, though currently located beyond Uranus, trails debris stretching back to the Earth. As the Earth crosses this trail, even the smallest speck creates a flash of light as it hits the Earth's atmosphere at 132,000 mph.The comet orbits our sun once every 133 years."The time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. "There should be plenty of meteors - perhaps one or two every minute."Wayne Halley, of the North American Meteor Network, told National Geographic he thinks the Perseids will have a sustained peak of over several hours this year."Based on last year's results, it appears that the actual peak was not at a specific time but lasted a day and a half surrounding that date," Hally said. "The peak [this year] might be the whole night."Serious meteor watchers will be hoping to see many "Earthgrazers", which approach the horizon and skim the atmosphere like a stone across water."Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful; they are among the most beautiful of meteors," said Cooke, adding that, although a viewer may only see a few at most during an hour of watching, they remain the jewel in the crown.Though best observed from the northern hemisphere, the spectacular showering will also visible to those in the southern hemisphere.For instructions on how best to view the meteor shower see the NASA site here.

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LmawnxolDec 3rd, 2008 - 20:39:35

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Meteor shower promises spectacular show

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