Relaxed eyes will quickly catch any movement in the sky and you’ll be able to spot more meteors. While viewing times remain consistent year after year, the moonlight conditions change considerably from one year to the next. A loud booming sound reported by multiple witnesses in Washington state was likely a meteor exploding over the area, experts said. Avoid looking at your cell phone or any other light, as both destroy night vision. If any meteor survives its fiery plunge to hit the ground intact, the remaining portion is called a meteorite. It’s after midnight, and actually about 1 a.m. that your location will be firmly on the night side of Earth—and so will typically experience more meteors— but that’s not critically important. (Photo courtesy: Scott Story / Bioluminous Commercial Art) Also known as “falling stars,” these fast-moving “stars” that light-up brightly and then quickly dim are caused by particles, dust and small rocks—mostly no bigger than a smaller than a grain of sand—striking the Earth’s atmosphere about 60 miles/100 kilometers up. Although you’ll hear tales from years gone from people who claim to have seen 100s of glowing “shooting stars” streaming across the night sky, it really does depend on many things: Here are some tips gleaned from years of stargazing and meteor shower-watching: If you don’t see any shooting stars and you start getting irritated, you’re doing it wrong. It’s an annual meteor shower that’s easily the most popular, though not quite the most prolific. The beauty of the Perseid meteor shower in all its glory from Texas Bend in Big Bend National Park, ... [+] Texas. Be sure to dress appropriately – wear clothing appropriate for cold overnight temperatures. ... By Joe Rao 11 August 2020. However, astronomers know that it’s not going to hit us in the next couple of thousand years. Lie back, relax, and you'll see Perseids. Here are Perseid meteor shower viewing tips: Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images). ... 2020 election: scenes … That’s a shame, but don’t panic. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. So although its probably not worth staying up all night to see meteors, you should definitely begin about 90 minutes after sunset—by which time it will be really dark—and continue through until the Moon rises and noticeably bleaches the night sky. Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? I'm the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and the author of "A Stargazing Program for Beginners: A Pocket Field Guide" (Springer, 2015), as well as many eclipse-chasing guides. A meteor streaks across the sky in the Puget Sound region on May 6, 2020. (Photo courtesy: Scott Story / Bioluminous Commercial Art) The Perseid meteor shower occurs every August, and is known as one of the most reliable showers, producing up to 70 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak, as bits and pieces from Comet Swift-Tuttle slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at more than 130,000 mph and then burn up 60 miles above Earth’s surface. The annual Persied meteor shower in August peaks the evening of August 11-12, with up to 75 meteors per hour visible. 2020 is the start of a new decade, and with it comes several fascinating astronomy events! The peak is a brief period of heightened meteor activity, but it’s not the whole ball-game. Getting as far away from city lights will provide the best view and the best time to watch the showers is between midnight and dawn. What you’re seeing are meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds—the Perseids travel as quick as 37 miles/60 kilometres per seconds—on parallel trajectories. Perseid meteors appear to come from the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Its nucleus is 16 miles/26 kilometers in diameter, which is much bigger than the dinosaur-killing asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago. ... And all along the immediate Pacific coast from Washington state … Provide at least an hour to sky watch, as it can take the eyes up to 20 minutes to adapt to the darkness of night. Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. Enter your email below to start! To find out when the moon sets each of those mornings visit. A reclining chair or pad will make it far more comfortable to keep your gaze on the night sky. Even then, you’ll still likely see “shooting stars.”. At this time, the moon is located 90 degrees west of the sun and rises between 23:00 and midnight local daylight saving time (LDST on August 10/11) . There will be plenty of meteors before that time. Here’s everything you need to know about getting the most from the Perseid meteor shower in 2020. Fortunately for all human-kind, each of Swift–Tuttle’s orbits for the next 2000 years have been intricately calculated, and for now, Earth is safe, according to Phys.org. Let your eyes relax and don’t look in any one specific spot. This year, the Perseids are best seen before midnight or before Earth’s lunar nightlight makes its appearance. The comet also has an eccentric, oblong orbit that takes courses outside the orbit of Pluto when farthest from the sun and inside the Earth’s orbit when closest to the sun, a journey that takes 133 years. How To Watch The Perseid Meteor Shower In Western Washington - Gig Harbor, WA - We'll have a few opportunities this week to see dozens, if … Composite image with background image by Jorde Angjelovik, overlay by Niruti Stock/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News, Copyright © 2010 - 2020 StGeorgeUtah.com LLC, all rights reserved, Try these tips for stocking your pantry like a pro – and saving money while you're at it, See that bright thing in the sky? It’s popular largely because it’s easily visible to the entire northern hemisphere in August, the most peak month for camping trips. Seeing shooting stars demands intense patience and an almost obsessive and dream-like state. Discovered in 1862, Swift-Tuttle is the largest Solar System object to repeatedly pass close to Earth, aside from the Moon. Bring something comfortable on which to sit or lie. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every August, and is known as one of the most reliable showers, producing up to 70 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak, as … I inspire people to go stargazing, watch the Moon, enjoy the night sky, Sisters (R) in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. ST. GEORGE — The Swift-Tuttle comet, Earth’s archaic relative, will make its moonlit debut on Tuesday, as fragments of the 4-billion-year-old, snowy dirtball streak across the skies during one of the most active meteor showers of the year. The comet in question for the Perseids is Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last entered the Solar System in 1992 and is due back in July 2126, then in 2261. During August it’s high in the eastern night sky after dark. I'm an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer writing about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. Should fortune smile upon Southern Utah,  the evening sky may serve as the backdrop for an “earthgrazer”, a colorful meteor that takes its time as it makes its horizontal trek across the heavens. In fact, it’s better that you look straight above your head, though do expect the comet trails to originate from the position of Perseus in the night sky. Typically, the Perseid meteors will take off in mid-to-late evening from northerly latitudes, and then increase after midnight until just before dawn. Mars is calling, Silver Reef day; the boom, bust and rebirth of a ghost town anomaly, Third case filed against St. George man charged with aggravated sexual abuse of child, Utah rivals in governor's race gain international attention from advertisements calling for decency, Man who shook, severely injured 2-month-old baby given 'the maximum sentence permitted by law'. The peak nights in 2020 are the nights of Tuesday, August 11 into Wednesday, August 12, and Wednesday, August 12 into Thursday, August 13, though the …