PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Conditions for stargazing this weekend will be spectacular. The Perseid meteor shower is set to hit its peak.
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the biggest meteor showers we can see. It happens every year around this time as the Earth moves through fields of floating space debris.
The Perseids come from comet Swift-Tuttle, a big ball of ice and rock that sheds pieces of dusty debris as it orbits around the sun. When the Earth passes by, those bits get caught in our atmosphere and burn up, creating the streaking lights. The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus, because the meteors’ paths appear to start out from this point in the sky.
The Perseids are already active right now, but the real show will take place from late Saturday night, around 11 p.m., and into early Sunday morning.
“The Perseids appear as bright streaks that zip across the sky and they will appear all over the sky,” said Dr. Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at The Franklin Institute.
Only a crescent moon moon will be visible, which means skywatching conditions will be even better. Last year, a bright full moon washed out the night sky.
Stargazers could see as many as 100 light trails per hour, as long as they aren’t near bright lights and buildings.
“It’s best to go someplace where the sky is darker,” Pitts advised, “a place where there aren’t many buildings or trees. If you go with a group of people, this will improve your chances of seeing more meteors because people can look in different directions.”
Places like French Creek State Park in Chester County are ideal, but stargazers may still be able to see some meteors in the city, if they choose the right viewing location. Pitts suggests somewhere like the plaza behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.