What NASA considers the best meteor shower of the year is set to peak in just a few days, and it’s not too late to catch a glimpse over the metro-east.
The Perseid meteor shower will hit its stride between the night of Aug. 11 and the early morning of Aug. 13. The shower annually provides bright, fast-moving meteors that leave long “wakes” of light and color behind them as they cross the night sky between mid-July and late August.
The Perseids are widely recognized as the Northern Hemisphere’s best meteor shower of the year , NASA says, because it occurs in the summer when nights are warm. So long as visibility is clear, the conditions are ripe for an easily viewable meteor shower across the metro-east.
The Perseids provide a plentiful meteor shower that can produce between 50 and 100 visible meteors per hour. Those meteors may also produce fireballs, which you may see as bright explosions.
“Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” NASA wrote online. “This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger parts of cometary material.”
If you hope to see the Perseid meteor shower at its peak in Illinois and Missouri this summer, here’s what you need to know.
When can I see the Perseid meteor shower peak in Illinois and Missouri?
You should look for mirrors in the sky once it’s dark. The best time to see meteors in the sky is in the pre-dawn hours, according to astronomy publication Space.com, but you might be able to catch a few visible meteors as early as 10 p.m. if the conditions are good.
The moon is expected to set as the meteor shower begins to hit its peak each night, NASA wrote online. Less moonlight should help you see meteors more easily as long as the sky remains clear.
August’s full moon will be a blue moon and a supermoon.
The Perseids’ radiant, or the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to come, is the constellation Perseus. It rises in the northeast, but the meteor shower should be visible across the sky with clear conditions. Perseus is not the source of the Perseids meteors, but rather a visual aid to help viewers establish which shower they are seeing.
Perseus should be visible above the horizon nearly all night long for most of Illinois and Missouri, as large portions of both states’ latitudes sit near or just below 40 degrees North. That positioning should make for an easier viewing experience, Space.com reports.
Where do the Perseids come from?
The space debris that creates the annual Perseid meteor shower comes from the commit 109P/Swift-Tutte, according to NASA. The comet orbits the sun just once every 133 years.
The average Perseid meteoroid (their name while flying through space) moves at about 133,200 mph as it hits Earth’s atmosphere, Space.com reports. They reach a temperature of approximately 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and are finally visible to those watching from Earth when they’re about 60 miles from the ground.
Tips for seeing a meteor shower
Ideally, you should look for meteors in the sky once the moon has set. A dark, clear sky with as little moonlight as possible is best for seeing meteors’ light.
You should find a viewing location far from major sources of light, including light pollution or personal equipment. Even your cell phone or camera may affect your view if they let off any significant light.
You should also leave the binoculars and telescopes at home. Experts say the naked eye is the best tool for seeing a meteor shower, as you will avoid limiting your field of view and have an easier time watching meteors travel quickly across the sky.
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