Perseid Meteor Shower Could Be Visible Tonight

When I got up this morning I was expecting to see meteors flashing across the sky! Instead I saw clouds! This weekend the Perseid meteor shower will be reaching its peak, but this morning I saw no shooting stars, no meteors, no stars at all.  Tonight we should get another chance to see the meteor show.

Best viewing is on the northeast horizon after midnight.  The annual meteor shower is caused by the cloud of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. As Earth passes through the cloud of debris, bits of ice and dirt burn up in earth's atmosphere, causing  a meteor shower. It can be very spectacular. My family has scheduled camping trips over the years just so we can get a glimpse of the meteor shower. Some years are better than others.

This year, the shower peaks tonight, but unfortunately coincides with the full moon, which will make observing the shooting stars difficult. Hopefully tonight the clouds will give us a break!