EKU professor on how to view (and perhaps hear) Perseid meteor shower

The annual Perseid meteor shower is underway and, according to NASA, it will peak next week. Mark Pitts teaches astronomy at Eastern Kentucky University. He said like the vast majority of meteor showers, Perseid consists of debris from an active comet with an orbital path intersecting the Earth’s. He had this advice for folks who’d like to step outside after dark and see it.

“Perseus is a northern constellation, so that means that you want to have a dark sky to your north. So you probably don't want to be south of any big communities.”

According to NASA, Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers, with between 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Pitts said an hour or so before dawn is the best time to see them – and if you’re very lucky, you might even hear one.

“Because they're super-heating the air, so they'll create like little sonic booms as they go by, but that's like winning the lottery for a meteor shower. They're very rare, but I would say I've lived here about 12, 13, years. I've seen two.”

An article on NASA’s website calls the Perseids the best meteor shower for viewing in the U.S.

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