Family Life

08.12.09 | FL News Team

It' s a great night for sky watching. Earth has entered a stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle which creates the annual Perseid meteor shower. The event actually began in mid July but the meteor shower hit its peak after midnight this morning. Up to 100 "shooting stars" will be visible during the pre-dawn hours in areas with a clear sky. The meteors can streak through any part of the sky but their tails will always point back to the constellation Perseus in the northeast.

NASA's website suggests finding a comfortable place to lie down outside, preferably away from city lights. Unfortunately the gibbous Moon will be bright in the sky, which may wipe out the view of some dim Perseids during the morning hours. The space agency suggests watching for meteors called "earthgrazers." They approach low on the horizon and skim the atmosphere like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond.