Perseids meteors in a photo 13 Aug 2019 next to a passing plane that appears to be a red dotted line
Sonora, CA – This weekend draws closer to prime time for the best meteor shower show of the year: the Perseids.
Visible beginning mid-July, they peak mid-August. You can enjoy them this weekend, actually. NASA scientists share that this year’s shower is likely to produce its largest number of meteors in the shortest time in the early morning between Tuesday-Thursday this coming week.
Since they occur every year during warmer summer evenings, conditions that are more comfortable for skywatchers, the Persian judges are one of the most popular celestial events of the year. As for their ‘light show’ attributes, clocking in at a speed of about 37 miles per second, the Perseids are very fast; they are also bright and known for their larger explosions of light and color – aka fireballs. Adding to its popularity, the Perseids are one of the most productive showers, as you can see about 50 to 100 meteors per hour, even more under optimal conditions.
From the Northern Hemisphere, the Perseids in the sky to the north can be spied on in the pre-dawn hours, although meteors from this year’s shower may be as visible as 10 pm
Since this peak shower period of this year occurs in the phase of the month of the last quarter, astronomers advise to go to the darkest possible location and return so that you can see as much of the sky as you can directly above you to be able to. They also advise shower gazers to be comfortable, take the time to adjust your eyes to the night sky for about 30 minutes and be patient: the longer you are there in the standby mode, the more you will see.
Local photographer and skyscraper Jim Cruff shares he will be looking for dark skies over the weekend this midweek to capture this year’s event. He shares a photo of the 2019 Perseids taken last year on August 13th. You can see that in the image box. The red dotted line caught a passing plane while the shooter remained open.
You are welcome to share your Perseids photos by sending them to [email protected].
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