The main meteor shower of the year for northern skygazers has arrived. The annual Perseid meteor shower lasts more than five weeks, starting on July 17 and lasting until August 24, but peaks on the night of August 12-13. Under pristine observing conditions, this reliable meteor shower can reach peak rates of 60 to 100 visible meteors per hour. This year, however, the full moon will wash out many of the fainter meteors. The Perseids themselves are dust grains that were once part of the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. Now they hit Earth’s atmosphere at about 130,000 mph and burn up high above the surface of our planet. The chart shows the view north-east from London at midnight as August 12th becomes August 13th. Meteors will shoot in all directions from the radiant point. A reclining garden chair can come in handy when dealing with a meteor, and don’t forget to take a warm coat. Unfortunately, the shower gets harder to see the further south you go. From Sydney, Australia, for example, you’d be lucky to see anything.
