Picture Perfect for the Perseids

Either the Moon or the weather has conspired to prevent us southern New Englanders from seeing one of the best annual meteor showers for more years than I care to count. That shower of shooting stars is the August Perseids.

Most people know about this mid-summer shower because folks spend more time outdoors during the Summer. If you are old enough to remember the prevalent drive-in theaters that once dotted the countryside, many families often caught glimpses of meteors blazing across the sky behind the huge projection screen as they watched a movie. Or families were amazed at the number of meteors seen from dark skies while they were camping.

I can't predict the weather prospects for the Perseids this year, but I do know that on the peak night of activity, August 12-13, the Moon will be New and will not interfere by brightening the sky whatsoever! All we have to do is cross our fingers and hope that the sky is clear.

Though the Perseids can be observed all night once the sun sets and the sky darkens, some research indicates the peak activity may occur around 1:00 am on the 13th. Be sure to comfortably position yourself in a location as far away from any lights as possible.

The Perseids appear to radiate from an area of sky, called the radiant point, in the constellation Perseus. Perseus is well up in the northeast sky after midnight. Face this general direction when you first begin your observing session and gradually follow the radiant across the sky. As Perseus moves up and across the sky, the number of meteors will increase as the night progresses.

If many meteors appear to be coming from another area of sky, then shift your gaze and concentrate on that sky region. Still, it doesn't hurt (much) to constantly scan as much sky as possible without straining your neck!

The Perseids, when seen elsewhere over the years, have varied in intensity. During this year's suggested peak at 1:00 am, one may see between 60 and 90 meteors per hour giving that moonlight will not be present. The green, red or orange shooting stars enter our atmosphere at a blazing 134,222 miles per hour! And some members of the Perseid shower are bright and often produce exploding fireballs. Remember, predictions can be off by several hours, if they come to fruition at all. So be persistent in your Perseid watch.

And if bad weather plagues peak night, try observing the night before and the night after. You'll see about one quarter of the peak night rates, or about 15-25 meteors per hour at best.

Let's hope we at least have clear skies to observe a few shooting stars known as the Perseids. Prospects haven't been this promising in years! Don't forget to visit Seagrave Memorial Observatory on Peeptoad Road in North Scituate this Summer on any clear Saturday night. Jupiter will be well placed for observing. Check out his four bright moons as they orbit around this giant planet. Also be sure to ask one of our volunteer telescope operators to point out a few of the summer "deep sky" wonders.

Visit our web site for additional information: www.theskyscrapers.org.

Keep your eyes to the skies.