Community Corner

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks on August 11, 12 & 13

Stargazers may see up to 50 Perseid meteors per hour during the peak days of the August meteor shower, the EarthSky website reports.

 

The best night to watch the Perseid meteor shower is early Sunday, according to the EarthSky website.

"The meteors will fall most abundantly – from anyplace worldwide – from about 2 a.m. until dawn on Sunday, August 12," as noted on EarthSky's 2012 meteor shower guide.

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 Neat Facts to Note

  • A waning crescent moon enhances the meteor show.
  • Venus and Jupiter are visible in the eastern sky, with a bonus third planet joining the planetary duo.

"As an added treat – on August 11, 12 and 13 – the moon will be sweeping past the brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, in the eastern predawn sky," the EarthSky website notes.

Find out what's happening in Windsor Locks-East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mercury will join Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky around the peak Perseid time.

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For more information on the Perseid meteor shower, check out blogger Aaron Turner's

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The EarthSky website recommends using binoculars to view Mercury near the horizon's sunrise point, approximately one hour before sunrise.


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