The peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower will be happening on August 11 and 12 this year and what a great time to view the skies. To enjoy these streaks of light in the night sky, you won’t need any binoculars or telescopes, though perhaps a lounge chair might come in handy. The accessibility of this sky show makes it the ideal event for young and old to go out to observe and share their celestial experience.
Learn more about the Perseids from our downloadable fact sheet here.
This year we are especially excited because AWB is teaming up with International Dark Sky Association, the global advocacy group that helps preserve the night sky, to help us in celebrating the awe and wonder of the Perseids and the sheer beauty of the night sky.
If you are viewing from outside a city centre, you should be able to see as much as 60 to 100 meteors per hour! Ranging from light, short streaks too long, and sometimes noisy, fireballs, this show is always a crowd pleaser usually creating many smiling faces.
These "shooting stars" occur when Earth plows into a stream of fragments—ranging in size from sand grains to boulders—left behind by a comet, in this case, Swift-Tuttle. As particles slam into the atmosphere at speeds of 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) per hour , the meteors quickly burn up in the upper atmosphere, producing a momentary streak across the overhead skies.
Planning to watch the Perseids?
We want to hear from you! Check out our great blog and fact sheet that will help you get ready to get the most out of the Perseids. Share these resources with your club members, network and friends and let’s make a plan to watch the Perseids together, from wherever each of you are! We may still be physically distancing but we don’t have to be socially distant, thanks to social media.
AWB will be hosting a Facebook Live on August 12 at 8 pm EDT (00:00 UTC) with livestreams of the meteor shower.
Whether you live in a city center or on a dark country road, counting shooting stars is a great way to relax and reconnect.
Share your Perseids experience by letting IDA and AWB know where you watched the Perseids from and share your experience with us on social media.
Use the hashtag #Perseids2020 and tag AWB and IDA in your post.
How many meteors did you see? What other celestial objects did you observe? What’s your favorite thing about the night? We’d love to know!
