Perseid Meteor Showers to Peak This Week

The 2015 Perseid meteor showers will peak this Tuesday, August 11, through Thursday, August 13. A new Moon on August 14, 2015 will create perfect conditions for watching the meteor shower. However, clouds will increase this afternoon, and rain is expected later tonight through much of the day tomorrow. In fact, nearly an inch-and-a-half of rain may fall across southwestern Connecticut.

The Perseids are visible from all over the Northern Hemisphere. To have the best chance of seeing a meteor, pick a dark area (as far from bright city lights as possible) and face northeast. The meteors were appear to radiate out from the constellation Perseus, hence their name: Perseids.

While showers are hard to forecast, astronomers with the Royal Astronomical Society believe there will be at least one meteor every few minutes. A NASA advisory for the 2015 Perseid meteor shower predicted up to 100 meteors per hour.

Paul