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Monday, October 20, 2014

Perseids Meteor Shower 2015 - The Moon Will Not Intrude During It's Peak Time

Mark your calendar for another astronomical event because on Wednesday of August 12th, the Perseids Meteor Shower 2015 will have it's peak as the Earth will be passing through a stream of cloud of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle which is the progenitor comet of Perseid, and are expected to produce up to 100 meteors an hour on the night of Wednesday. The Perseids are so named because the meteors appear to come from the constellation Perseus, but it's comet Swift-Tuttle that's responsible for the meteoroids. As the comet makes it 133-year journey around the sun, it leaves a trail of dust and debris. Earth crosses this stream each year around the middle of August. The Perseids has been one of the most documented and viewed meteor showers, with recorded observations for 2,000 years, according to NASA. Unlike last year, when there was a bright moon, Earth's natural satellite won't be visible and will enter the new moon phase Friday. If the night sky is stunning enough you'll be able to see some bright meteors streaking through the sky using only the unaided naked eye and since the moon will be at it's darkest this time it's a pretty good chance of seeing the meteor shower's peak as the Perseid meteor shower occurs every August when the Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, a comet that orbits the sun once every 133 years. The Perseids have been observed by humans for at least 2,000 years, according to NASA officials. The meteors are made up of ice and dust shed by Swift-Tuttle, most of which was cast off by the comet hundreds of years ago in which the best time to observe the Perseids will be in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, Aug. 13. "The Perseids streak across the sky from many directions, with theoretical rates as high as 100 per hour. The last time the Perseids peak coincided with a new moon was in 2007, making this one of the best potential viewings in years that is, according to NASA but let's see the outcome.