Perseid Meteor Shower Tonight

The researchers recorded at least 12 of these flashes from the 2013 Perseid meteor shower.

The good news is that skies over South Yorkshire are set to remain clear overnight, giving a clear sight of the dazzling show. However, if you do live near city lights, you will still see some, but some of the fainter meteors may not be visible. The meteors we see are those particles, most no larger than a pea, burning up in the atmosphere as Earth crosses Swift-Tuttle’s orbital path. As the earth passes through the debris field left behind by the comet, that debris hits the atmosphere at an impressive 143,000 miles per hour and disintegrates in a blaze of light.

Tonight and early Thursday morning likely are the best chances to see the meteor shower. Last year’s Perseids peaked during the bright Super Moon, making them hard to view.

Be patient. Give yourself anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour, and the streaking meteors should be easily spotted against the still night sky once your eyes are fully adjusted.

The best way to see them is to lie down and look up, preferably in locations away from light pollution.

That’s “because the moon is nearly new and there’s no moonlight to mess with the show”, said NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke.

If you want a better view, get your telescope out. But it will reach its peak intensity Thursday morning at about 2 a.m. EDT. Up to 100 meteors per hour will cross the sky after 11 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday. NASA says that the spectacle will begin just past midnight. “Plus, this shower can be enjoyed during summer’s warmth”, the article stated, “unlike the often nippy nights during the Leonids of November or Geminids of December”.

The meteor shower, named for the constellation Perseus, was first observed by Chinese astronomers in 36 AD, according to ancient records.

The brightest meteor shower of the year is coming up, and it should be very easy to see.