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You, Me and Debris: The Perseid Meteor Shower

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The 2010 Perseid Meteor shower began  July 13 and lasts until August 26. Next week (Aug. 12-13), the Earth will be passing through the densest part of the debris field from the comet Swift-Tuttle (originator of the Perseids).  This will be the peak time to view the meteor shower. Primarily visible in the Northern Hemisphere and radiating from the consellation Perseus, the best time to view the showers is pre-dawn (after midnight) – where you might see meteors at a rate of 50 or more per hour. During the peak of the shower, we will be blessed with a waxing crescent moon, which means we will have a dark sky- perfect for viewing the light show.

Perseus Star Map from NASA

Astronomy clubs around the United States are holding viewing parties- to find a local astronomy club in your area go to the Night Sky Network National Astronomy Club Map

If you would like to learn more about meteor showers, as wells as viewing information about the Perseids, see our guide to Internet Resources: Meteor Showers

So get outside and watch the sky. You will not be disappointed.

Comments (5)

  1. I LOVE THIS BLOG!!!

  2. Do you guys have an RSS feed?

    • Yes, the Library has RSS feeds (and email subscriptions), which includes a Science feed. We generally post info on new science reference products, events, etc.
      See RSS feeds/email

  3. Is this the right place for me to start doing research on water filtration? With the volume of information you folks have, there must be a ton of information on them.

    • @Jim. Yes, you got the right place, the Library’s Science Reference Service. Send us a question or information about your research to our Ask a Librarian service and we can help direct you to sources for your research.

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