Perseid meteor shower to light the night sky

By Ben Steelman
Ben.Steelman@StarNewsOnline.com

Those willing to stay up late should enjoy a free show Monday night – the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is expected to reach its peak between 10:30 p.m. Monday and 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

In the Wilmington area, the Cape Fear Astronomical Society is planning a free public viewing session from sunset until about 11 p.m. Monday on the grounds of the Fort Fisher State Historic Site. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, said Jon Stewart-Taylor of the society.

At the Perseids' peak, observers in dark areas well away from city lights could see as many as 100 meteors an hour under ideal conditions. Most people are more likely to see 40 to 50 meteors an hour if they're patient and lucky, Stewart-Taylor said. But be sure to go someplace dark, as most meteors aren't very bright. 

“If you're in downtown Wilmington, forget it,” said Ed Ovsenik of Ingram Planetarium in Surf City.

Some of the best places to look would be over the ocean at Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach or Kure Beach, Ovsenik said.

Although meteors – bright streaks of light in the night sky, often called “shooting stars” – might be seen on any clear night of the year, they are most common during meteor showers, which occur predictably a number of times each year. The Perseid meteor shower is especially popular with observers since it falls during warm weather. A recent NASA study also showed that the Perseids are the most likely shower to produce fireballs, especially large meteors that briefly appear brighter than any star or planet.

Meteors occur when a piece of space debris – a small rock or chunk of frozen gas – enters the Earth's atmosphere and glows as it heats from friction. Meteor showers happen, Stewart-Taylor said, when the Earth passes through the trail of a comet through space. Most scientists link the Perseid shower to Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed close to Earth in 1992 and is expected to return in 2126.

The shower takes its name from the constellation Perseus. Most meteors will seem to radiate from a point in Perseus, which will be in the northeastern sky late Monday night, Ovsenik said. 

The Perseids were noted by Chinese astronomers as long ago as 36 A.D. They are sometimes called “the tears of St. Lawrence,” after the Catholic saint whose feast day falls on Aug. 10.

For meteor-watching, be comfortable, Ovsenik advised. Bring a lawn chair, a blanket to lay on the ground or a sleeping bag. Dress lightly, bring bug spray and, if possible, a red-filtered flashlight which won't interfere with your night vision. Then just lie back and watch the sky.

In this area, Perseus will be about 30 degrees above the northeast horizon. Ten degrees, according to Ovsenik, is roughly the height of a human fist, so 30 degrees would be about three fists up.

Ben Steelman: 343-2208