Did you catch any of the Perseids Meteor Shower last night?
If not, you've got a second chance tonight.
Terry Jones, astrophysics professor the University of Minnesota, said the Perseids Meteor Shower will be strongest on Sunday morning around 4 a.m.
The Perseid shower is the brightest of all major meteor showers, Jones told Patch, because Swift-Tuttle sheds the largest amount of this interstellar dandruff as it arcs through the cosmos.
Because the metro area including Plymouth is at the center of a gigantic blob of light polution (see map with this story), and because the meteor shower will be visible in the northeast portion of the sky, anyone looking for the full Perseid experience has to head east of the Twin Cities.
You can find suggestions of places to view the meteor shower in the metro and local area on .
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According to NASA's Night Sky Network online, meteors can be seen all over the sky. And if you can trace them back, they appear to be radiating from one constellation, which is how they got their names. Hence, Perseids came from the constellation Perseus.
If you miss tonight's show or don't get to a great spot to see it there are plenty of other meteor shower opportunities this year. The next one is Sunday, Oct. 21, and Monday, Oct. 22 for the Orionids, Sunday, Nov. 4 and Monday, Nov. 5, for the Taurids, catch the Leonids Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, the Geminids can be seen Wednesday, Dec. 12, and Thursday, Dec. 13, and Ursids is best viewed on Saturday, Dec. 22, and Sunday, Dec. 23. All of this is dependent on cloud cover and weather at the time.
NASA emphasizes the best ones to take in this year are Perseids, Leonids and Geminids.
Check stardate.org/nightsky/meteors for this year’s viewing suggestions, including Moon phases. You can also find th astronomy clubs and events at NightSkyNetwork.org
