The last visit of comet Swift-Tuttle was in 1992 and will visit our “neighborhood” again in the year 2126. NASA once believed the comet could be hazardous to the Earth since it passes so close, relatively speaking (about 14 million miles away). However, calculations done by the comet’s last pass-by determined that the comet is no threat to the Earth-Moon system for at least the next 2000 years.
As we move through our orbit around the sun, we will move through the densest of the comet’s debris field between Aug. 11-13 which just happens to be a weekend.
RELATED: Coverage of Perseids shower from last year
Of course, in case you haven’t caught on yet, that is the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower, one of the best known, and typically most visible meteor showers of the year.
Typically, the Perseids are rich in fireballs (very bright meteors that tend to last longer than typical meteors). This year the moon will be near new moon, it will be a crescent, which means it will set before the Perseid show gets underway after midnight. This year during peak people should see about 60-70 meteors per hour, but in outburst years (such as in 2016) the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour.
If you are planning to check out this year’s upcoming meteor shower, here are a few things to keep in mind:
• The key to seeing a meteor shower is to take in as much sky as possible in your view. Go to a dark area, in the suburbs or countryside, and prepare to sit outside for a few hours.
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• Remember, it takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and the longer you wait outside, the more you’ll see. A rate of 60-70 meteors per hour, for instance, means around one meteor per minute, including faint streaks along with bright, fireball-generating ones.
When you sit back to watch a meteor shower, you’re actually seeing the pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 37 miles per second.
When they’re in space, the pieces of debris are called “meteoroids,” but when they reach Earth’s atmosphere, they’re designated as “meteors.” If a piece makes it all the way down to Earth without burning up, it graduates to “meteorite.” Most of the meteors in the Perseids are much too small for that though, as they’re about the size of a grain of sand.
When you are out looking for the “falling stars,” also be on the lookout for some planets in the night sky. Skywatchers should also be able to see Mars (visible until about 4 a.m.) and Saturn (visible until about 2 a.m). Venus and Jupiter will both set before the Perseids are best viewed (9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., respectively). Happy meteor hunting!
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