Community Corner
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks this Weekend
Stargazers may see up to 50 meteors per hour the next few nights.
This weekend brings the annual awe-inspiring Perseid meteor shower, which this year could deliver as many as 50 falling stars an hour.
The best night to watch the Perseid meteor shower is Sunday. "The meteors will fall most abundantly – from anyplace worldwide – from about 2 a.m. until dawn according to EarthSky's 2012 meteor shower guide.
Neat Facts to Note
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- A waning crescent moon enhances the meteor show.
- Venus and Jupiter are visible in the eastern sky, with a bonus third planet, Mercury, 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.
The EarthSky website recommends using binoculars to view Mercury near the horizon's sunrise point, approximately one hour before sunrise.
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