DENVER — Grab your lawnchairs and popcorn; Head outside for the Perseid meteor show Wednesday night!
The major meteor shower will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
“If you see one meteor shower this year, make it August’s Perseids or December’s Geminids,” NASA says. “The Perseids feature fast and bright meteors that frequently leave trains, and in 2015 there will be no moonlight to upstage the shower.”
Like NASA said, the best part about the 2015 showing is that it will happen a day before the new moon, meaning the night skies will be dark and perfect for meteor spotting. It will be one of the brightest displays in years thanks to this.
Under clear and dark skies, observers could expect to see up to 100 shooting stars an hour.
Stargazers, campers or simply astronomy lovers will not need any additional equipment like a telescope to see the meteor shower. These fiery streaks of light should be visible to the naked eye that evening.
NASA recommends to lie on your back and let your eyes adjust to the night sky. Going to a rural area, away from urban spaces that are filled with light pollution, will increase the chances of seeing the Perseid meteor shower.
Staying up past midnight might also help viewers spot meteors. Some of the strongest showings happen in the predawn hours, from 3 a.m. to dawn.
Weather for the Metro area Wednesday evening was predicted to be slightly cloudy with chances of rain showers and thunderstorms in the evening, so make sure to check the forecast before you head out.
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The Perseids are active every year from July 13 to August 26, according to the American Meteor Society, a nonprofit scientific organization that supports the research of astronomers, but the meteor shower peaks between August 12-13.
They are named after the Perseus constellation in the northeastern part of the sky, from which the meteors appear to fall.
If you want to learn more about meteors and the Perseid shower, NASA TV and NASA’s UStream channel will host a live show with meteor science experts from 8 p.m. MDT Wednesday night into 12 a.m. Thursday morning. Their commentary will answer questions from anyone curious about the meteors; to join NASA’s online conversation, tweet questions to @NASA_Marshall using the hashtag #askNASA, or post questions at broadcast time to the Marshall Facebook.
As always with any kind of weather, send us your meteor shower pics at tips@digital-staging.kdvr.com or submit them below.