Shooting Stars

The Swift-Tuttle Comet comes near Earth about once every 132 years. It was discovered in 1862, and came close to the Earth in 1992. It is expected again in 2126. Each time Swift-Tuttle passes by, it follows about the same orbit and leaves debris in its wake that forms the Perseid Meteor Showers for years to come.

So why is it called the Perseid Meteor Shower and not the Swift-Tuttle Meteor Shower? Good question. Astronomers name meteor showers after the constellation that the meteors appear to be coming from. In this case Perseus. So to find the Perseids, you need to look to the northeast in the early morning hours of August 13. If you know your stars, locate Orion very low on the horizon and look up and to the northeast, and if you're lucky, you should see meteors radiating from this part of the sky. A good star map can be found here.

The viewing this year may be hampered a bit by the very bright full moon, but look in the early evening of August 12 while the moon is low for a good view.

The Perseids are only seen from the Northern hemisphere. So grab a chair and get set for some great night viewing!

Here are a few more sites to see:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/pe...

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/1553...

http://www.rocketroberts.com/astro/naked...

Copyright 2003 Irene Taylor All rights reserved.

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