If you want a good look at a meteor shower, you’d better head outside this Saturday.
Every year, the Perseid meteor shower provides a dazzling show for people lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the night sky at the right place and the right time.
And it lasts quite a while too, but much of the time it isn’t really visible because, well, people on Earth only get one perspective of the galaxy surrounding them.
But this weekend will make for prime viewing, as the optimal time to see the meteor shower is set for Saturday, August 11.
This fame recurring event is caused as the result of a comet called Swift-Tuttle. Small fragments of this comet break apart as it flies through space, creating quite a spectacle in the sky.
The reason the best viewing time will be on Saturday is that the moon will be in a waning crescent phase. This means the night sky will be darker than the previous few days.
The tip to getting the best view of the shower is to look toward the Perseus constellation, which is the group of stars that looks like an inverted “Y”.
So good luck and happy star gazing.
