| The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower |
| Monday, 11 August 2008 | |
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If you can get up before dawn tommorow (Tuesday, August 12th) The Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to be good.
"The time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. "There should be plenty of meteors--perhaps one or two every minute." - From Science@NASA Increasing clouds are expected tomorrow but hopefully the weather will hold off for a good morning show. "The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is far away, currently located beyond the orbit of Uranus, a trail of debris from the comet stretches all the way back to Earth. Crossing the trail in August, Earth will be pelted by specks of comet dust hitting the atmosphere at 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a flimsy speck of dust makes a vivid streak of light when it disintegrates--a meteor! Because, Swift-Tuttle's meteors streak out of the constellation Perseus, they are called "Perseids." " Some activity should be beginning right now 9 pm Monday August 11th |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 11 August 2008 ) |
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