The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks in Austin tonight–though the annual astronomical event has been happening since late July–so expect to see 100s of meteors at a time during the wee hours of tomorrow morning.
Although the time that the moon rises and sets varies with geographic location, visibility is more or less the same across the country. According to most experts, the best time to view the showers is between 3 and 5am tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, but there should be prolific meteors tonight as soon as the sky starts to get dark. Face South and place your eyes on the horizon.
If you’re a night owl and not content with a backyard blanket, check out places slightly out of town for a better view. Think driving west, parking the truck, and laying back in the tailgate …
As comets orbit the Sun, they shed an icy, dusty debris stream along the comet’s orbit. If Earth travels through this stream, we see the debris as a meteor shower. This Perseid meteor shower, which is so named because meteors appear to fall from the constellation Perseus, is an annual event.
I hear it makes a pretty romantic date, too, fellas …
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