FRANCE: Quite possibly the best meteor shower of the year the Perseids will be coming to a sky near you next week.
“If you see one meteor shower this year, make it August’s Perseids or December’s Geminids,” NASA says. “The Perseids feature fast and bright meteors that frequently leave trains, and in 2015 there will be no moonlight to upstage the shower.”
There could be as many as 80 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower, NASA added, noting it’s among the brightest of all such meteor events. Plus they can be enjoyed during summer’s warmth, unlike the often nippy nights during the Leonids of November or Geminids of December.
“This major shower takes place during the lazy, hazy days of summer, when many families are on vacation,” EarthSky.org Bruce McClure said.
Additionally, there won’t be any significant distracting moonlight, as the moon will only be a thin crescent in the sky.
The Perseids can be best seen during the pre-dawn hours from Tuesday through Aug. 14, according to Earthsky.org, with the best show on Aug. 13.
Meteor showers are named for the constellation out of which they appear to come, said Vincent Perlerin of the American Meteor Society. Look for the constellation Perseus in the northeastern portion of the sky. It’s just to the left of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters constellation.
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