Perseid Meteor Showers tonight
Shooting stars ... always the best thing about August. That and the birthday of my BFF of 56 years and a wonderful star in our lives, not just in August, but all year round.
Happy Birthday, Barbie.
Brian Emfinger photographed this early Perseid meteor shower fireball, with a smoke trail, from Ozark, Arkansas just after midnight on Sunday, July 26, 2009. CREDIT: Brian Emfinger, used with permission (more photos: http://www.realclearwx.com). View full size image
For Northern Hemisphere observers, August is usually regarded as "meteor month" with one of the best displays of the year reaching its peak near midmonth. That display is, of course, the annual Perseid Meteor Shower beloved by everyone from meteor enthusiasts to summer campers.
But sky watchers beware: You will be facing a major obstacle in your attempt to observe this year’s Perseid performance, namely, the moon.
This year, the moon will be full on Aug. 13just in time to seriously hamper, if not all but prevent, observation of the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is predicted peak overnight on Aug. 12 and 13. Bright moonlight will flood the sky all through that entire night and will certainly play havoc with any serious attempts to observe these meteors.
Incredible: This stunning photograph taken from the southern tip of Australia shows a meteorite near the Milky Way