Every August the Perseid meteor shower puts on a dazzling performance for astronomy enthusiasts across the province and this year is no different, despite the moonlight. Environment Canada is calling for clear conditions tonight which means sky watchers should get a good glimpse of meteors zipping through the sky thanks to an ancient comet.
“They originate from comet Swift-Tuttle, which is a comet that goes around the sun every 130 years,” explained Vance Petriew of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Regina Centre. “As it goes around the sun it leaves a big tail of debris, as you know comets create these beautiful tales we see in the sky, and they’re basically dust and grains of sand coming off the comet. When the Earth passes through that dust tail (or debris tail) it creates a meteor show for us.”
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The best time to see the meteor shower is around 2 a.m. Wednesday and is best viewed away from city lights. Petriew says the meteors come from the constellation Perseus which rises in the northeast sky.
“If you find the constellation Cassiopeia, which is the “W” up in the sky, Perseus is just below that.”
There is no one place to look for meteors tonight and early tomorrow morning. Petriew says meteors will be zipping across the whole sky.
“I usually like to look about 45 degrees above the horizon out in the east, he noted.”
The moon is expected to rise by midnight which means it may be more difficult to see the faint meteors thanks to a brightened sky. Despite the moonlight, sky watchers can still see a great meteor show with the unaided eye.
