Community Corner

See 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower Aug. 11, 12

If the sky is clear Preston Beach should be a good viewing spot. Viewers should be able to observe around 80 "shooting stars" per hour during this year's Perseid Meteor Shower.

 

According to Astronomy.com, the Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year: It will occur on a night when the moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means the moonlight won't interfere with your view of the dashing meteors, and it's on a Saturday night, which means people can stay up late and sleep in the next day.

You don't even need a telescope. Just spread out a blanket, maybe a late-night picnic, lay back and enjoy!  

Find out what's happening in Swampscottwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Local astronomer Jim Keating says Preston Beach, by the sun circle, would be a good place to view the meteor shower because it looks to the northeast.

"It has a direct path to the northeast," he said.

Find out what's happening in Swampscottwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here are some links to New England astronomy organizations.

Perseid Meteor Trivia:

  • These meteors travel 37 miles per second!
  • The best time to view will be 2 a.m. on Aug. 12.
  • The weather, so far, is predicted to be clear, so you should have a good view.
  • The Perseid Meteors are cast-offs of the Swift-Tuttle comet, according to Space.com.
  • The shower began on July 23, and will peak the night of Aug. 11-12. 
  • Look toward the Perseus constellation, which forms an inverted "Y" shape and is in the northeast.
  • Some of the meteroids are as small as a grain of sand, but they have the kinetic energy of a nuclear bomb!
  • If you see a very slow, bright object sailing across the sky, it's either a satellite or a Space Station.   

Where to view:

  • You don't need a telescope to view this celestial event, so just head out to a dark spot.  
  • If you snap a great photo of the shower, .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here