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Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks this Weekend

Posted at 6:50 PM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 22:51:57-04

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s the Perseid meteor shower. It’s that time of year again when you’ll want to check out the night sky as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.  

The best two nights to view the meteor shower will be the nights of August 11th and 12th, even though the peak is technically the night of the 12th. Good news though, we are expecting mostly clear skies both nights and the moon will be in the new moon and crescent phases, so moonlight won’t be an issue. Just make sure you find a dark place free from light pollution. Temperatures will be comfortable, too, as lows are expected to be in the mid to upper 60s in Omaha. 

Keep in mind, it will take your eyes at least 30 minutes to fully adjust to the dark, but once they do you could see 60-70 meteors per hour. While the peak viewing time will be just before dawn, any time after 11 p.m. will be a good time to head out to look at the stars. The meteor shower will radiate from the Perseus constellation in the northeast, so look in that direction, but you should see some meteors if you just look up!

The cause of this meteor shower? Comet Swift-Tuttle. Earth passes through its dust and debris each year.