A delight for stargazers

SYRACUSE -- Each year, the path of the Earth’s orbit around our sun passes through the debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. The comet debris burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere and causes the Perseid meteor shower.  This dazzling show has actually been going on since late July.  However, from sunset Tuesday through sunrise Wednesday, we will be in the prime time hours for the highest amount of meteor showers.  According to the experts, dozens of meteors may occur per hour tonight.  In addition, at 4:00 am EDT Wednesday, the Earth is expected to pass through a denser part of the comet’s tail. This may cause an increase the amount of meteor showers to up to 200 per hour. 

Here are some tips to view the Perseid meteor shower:  Obviously, you will want to find an area that has the lowest amount of ambient light as possible.  Therefore, you will want to avoid city lights.  Unfortunately, there is one light that you will not be able to avoid.  That is the slightly more than half moon that will rise in the sky during the evening and be in the sky all night long.  Try to avoid staring at the moonlight as it will coax your eyes away from seeing the more subtle meteor showers.  The moon will be very low in the sky between 9 and 11pm.  Therefore, it may be easier to view any meteor showers during that time period.  Laying down flat on the ground with a blanket is an optimal way of watching the skies.  While meteor showers may occur anywhere in the sky, all of the tails will point back to the constellation Perseus.

If you are able to capture one of these on a digital camera, feel free to e-mail them to us weather@cnycentral.com. We will be able to show them on air and online.  Good luck with the viewing tonight!

For more information on the Perseid meteor shower click here and here.

For pictures of this year’s Perseid Meteor Shower click here:

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