The Perseid meteor shower is a treat for skywatchers every summer, and the best time to watch is this weekend. Weather permitting, Kentucky’s night sky will come alive with fiery streaks of light darting through Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Here’s what you need to know about where, when and how to watch the Perseids before the season ends.
When rocks or other debris enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, they often burn up. These fireballs, or “shooting stars,” are called meteors. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year when Earth passes through a cloud of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Perseid meteors tend to leave long “trails of light,” NASA writes, as they streak across the sky.
The meteor shower is active from July to September, and its peak activity will be August 11-13 in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the American Meteor Society. Weather permitting, you should be able to see dozens, if not hundreds, of meteors every night through mid-August.
Weather forecast during the Perseid meteor shower for Louisville, Kentucky
The weather can be fickle, but local meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Louisville are predicting partly cloudy skies with lows in the 15s Sunday night. Luckily, the moon will be half bright, making it easier to see. When it becomes full later this month, we’ll have a seasonal blue moon.
Look up into the night sky and find the spot that experts call the “radiant” – the point where the Perseids most often appear. In this case, it’s the constellation Perseus, which rises around 11 p.m., Space.com writes.
Which direction should you look to see the Perseid meteor shower?
Look north toward the constellation Perseus, located at about 40 degrees latitude. Perseus is located under the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia. It never sets below the horizon and is visible year-round in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s where you should be able to see the Perseid meteor shower.
The best way to watch the Perseid meteor shower is to find a nice, comfortable spot away from city lights. If possible, find a wide open field or country road 1-2 miles from town — the darker the sky, the more clearly you’ll see meteors. The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is from midnight to the early morning hours, after the radiant reaches its highest point in the night sky, writes EarthSky.
If you plan to observe the night sky this month, keep the following dates in mind for August 2024, according to NASA’s skywatching tips:
- 11 August – The Perseid meteor shower will peak overnight. Provided you have clear skies, viewing conditions will be favorable this year, as the moon will set around 11:30 p.m. local time. From then on, meteor activity will increase until dawn.
- 14 August – Jupiter and Mars will form an extremely close conjunction this morning. They will appear only a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full moon. You will find them in the eastern sky in the few hours before sunrise.
- 19 August – Full moon.
- 20.08. – The Moon chases Saturn across the sky tonight. The pair rise in the east just after dusk and move west together until dawn.
- 27.August – This morning, the crescent moon forms a fascinating trio with Mars and Jupiter. Look for them in the east about an hour before sunrise.
- All month – You can see the Lagoon Nebula with binoculars or a telescope in the first few hours after dark. It is located in the constellation Sagittarius, near the constellation of the Teapot. Similar in size and brightness to the Orion Nebula, it is a melting pot of star formation located about 4,000 light-years away.
August is for astronomy lovers: The seasonal blue moon and other celestial surprises await you this month
John Tufts covers breaking news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.
