Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Aug. 13th
The Perseid meteor shower is the dusty remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle. First discovered in 1862, Swift-Tuttle is the largest known object to repeatedly pass by Earth, measuring at 16 miles wide! It's last Earth encounter was in 1992 and is due back in the year 2126. Until then we can enjoy the dust cloud that this comet left behind in the form of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids are one of the most spectacular and exciting meteor showers of the year with as many as 60-70 meteors per hour. In outburst years up to 200 meteors per hour! This year, the waxing gibbous moon will create some difficulties for observers because it will be very bright during the peak.
We recommend watching the Perseids on the weekend starting on Friday, August 9, as there will be less light from the moon than on the expected peak date. You can also catch Mercury at elongation and the conjunction of the moon and Jupiter in the same night. So get out there!
The key to observing the meteor shower is darkness. The farther you can get from light pollution the better you will be able to absorb light. The best way to avoid the bright moon is to start early in the evening, or get up a few hours before sunrise. Let your eyes adjust to darkness for 30 minutes. Dress warmly. Bring a reclining chair, or spread a thick blanket over a flat spot of ground. Lie down and look up somewhat toward the North. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, although their trails will tend to point back toward the radiant Perseus(below). Our Skywatcher 15X70 Binoculars can be used for more magnification, or If you would like to take a time-lapse video we would recommend using our Revolution Imager in combination with an All Sky wide angle lens.
We also have some big sales on Celestron EdgeHD optics and Sky-Watcher Evostars. Some of the most trusted brands in amateur astonomy.
