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Summer Meteor Shower

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DEAN: 
HEY THERE STAR GAZERS.

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I'M DEAN REGAS, ASTRONOMER FOR THE CINCINNATI 
OBSERVATORY.

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JAMES: 
AND I'M JAMES ALBURY, DIRECTOR OF THE KIKA

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SILVA PLA PLANETARIUM 
IN GAINESVILLE,

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FLORIDA.

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WE'VE GOT GOOD NEWS AND SOME EVEN 
BETTER NEWS.

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THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER, 
TRADITIONALLY THE BEST METEOR SHOWER

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OF THE YEAR, 
WILL PEAK WEDNESDAY NIGHT AUG 12TH THROUGH

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THURSDAY MORNING 
THE 13TH.

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DEAN: 
BUT THE EVEN BETTER NEWS IS THAT THE MOON

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WILL BE OUT OF THE PICTURE DURING 
THE PEAK.

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MEANING WE'LL HAVE EXTRA-DARK SKIES FOR WATCHING 
THE PERSEIDS THIS YEAR.

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JAMES: 
GET PREPARED BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SHARE

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OUR TIPS AND TRICKS 
TO OBSERVING A

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METEOR SHOWER.

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DEAN: 
THE BEST TIME TO LOOK FOR THE PERSEID METEOR

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SHOWER IS LATE AT NIGHT ON THE 12TH OF AUGUST, 
AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 13TH.

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JAMES: 
HERE'S RULE # 1 :

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HOPE IT'S CLEAR.

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BECAUSE IF IT'S 
CLOUDY OR RAINING

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YOU WON'T SEE ANY METEORS AT ALL.

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DEAN: 
RULE # 2 :

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"GET AS FAR AWAY FROM CITY LIGHTS AS POSSIBLE".

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BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY SEE A HANDFUL 
OF THE BRIGHTEST METEORS FROM

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CITY LOCATIONS, 
THE CITY LIGHTS FLOOD THE SKY WITH SO MUCH

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SKY-GLOW THAT NOWADAYS MANY OF THE METEORS 
IN A METEOR SHOWER ARE HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

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JAMES: 
RULE # 3

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"OBSERVE WHILE LYING ON THE GROUND ON 
A BLANKET OR IN A LAWNCHAIR".

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IN OTHER WORDS, 
KEEP LOOKING UP!

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NO TELESCOPES, 
NO BINOCULARS NEEDED!

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DEAN: 
RULE # 4:

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"STAY OUTSIDE FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF HOURS, 
PREFERABLY AFTER MIDNIGHT AND HAVE PLENTY

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OF PATIENCE."

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JAMES: 
IF YOU FOLLOW THESE RULES,

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YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE SEVERAL METEORS PER 
HOUR AND MAYBE

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MANY MORE.

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SIMPLY LIE BACK AND CONSTANTLY SCAN THE SKY 
AND USUALLY WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT,

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A METEOR OR EVEN TWO WILL ZIP ACROSS THE SKY.

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DEAN: 
NOW ALTHOUGH SOME ASTRONOMY WEBSITES WILL

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TELL YOU THAT YOU MAY SEE 60 METEORS 
PER HOUR,

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WHICH WOULD BOIL DOWN TO ABOUT ONE A MINUTE, 
METEORS REALLY DON'T OPERATE ON A TIME SCHEDULE.

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YOU MAY SEE TEN OF THEM IN TWO MINUTES AND 
THEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR 20 MINUTES TO SEE ANOTHER

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ONE.

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BUT THAT'S THE FUN OF IT, BECAUSE EACH METEOR 
IS A TOTAL SURPRISE.

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JAMES: 
O.K., WE'VE GOT OUR SKIES SET UP FOR THE USUAL

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PEAK TIME 
TO VIEW: AUGUST 13TH

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AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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ABOUT HALF WAY UP FROM THE HORIZON YOU WILL 
SEE THE "W" SHAPE OF CASSIOPEIA.

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LOOK A LITTLE BELOW CASSIOPEIA AND THAT'S 
WHERE THE METEORS WILL APPEAR TO ORIGINATE:

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THE CONSTELLATION PERSEUS.

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DEAN: 
I KNOW THAT IS REALLY EARLY, BUT THE METEOR

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SHOWER WILL BE AT IT'S BEST BEFORE DAWN ON 
THE 13TH.

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JAMES: 
WONDER WHY THEY'RE CALLED THE PERSEIDS?

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WELL METEOR SHOWERS ARE NAMED FOR THE CONSTELLATION 
FROM WHERE THE METEORS APPEAR TO ORIGINATE.

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BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS 
A METEOR?

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LET'S TAKE YOU OUT INTO SPACE AND EXPLAIN.

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DEAN: 
METEORS ARE THE FLASHES OF LIGHT WE

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SEE WHEN TINY SPECKS OF SPACE DEBRIS SLAM 
INTO OUR EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AND

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LIGHT UP.

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YOU SEE, 
EVERY TIME A COMET VISITS OUR SUN IT

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SHEDS TONS OF DEBRIS.

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AND EVENTUALLY THIS STUFF GETS SPREAD OUT 
ALONG THE COMET'S PATH.

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JAMES: 
IF OUR EARTH PLOWS INTO THIS PATH,

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THESE TINY PIECES OF COMET LITTER WILL SLAM 
INTO OUR EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE TRAVELING MANY

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MILES PER SECOND.

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THE PARTICLES THEMSELVES ARE FAR TOO SMALL 
TO BE SEEN BUT THE FRICTION OF THESE PARTICLES

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HITTING THE AIR CAUSES THE AIR SURROUNDING 
THEM

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TO HEAT UP AND 
YOU SEE STREAKS

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OF LIGHT.

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DEAN: 
AND WE CALL THESE STREAKS OF LIGHT METEORS

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OR INCORRECTLY 
"FALLING STARS".

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THE METEORS WE SEE DURING THE PERSEID METEOR 
SHOWER EACH AUGUST ARE DEBRIS FROM A COMET

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NAMED 
SWIFT-TUTTLE.

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JAMES: 
AND OUR EARTH PLOWS THROUGH ITS DEBRIS FIELD

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ABOUT THE SAME TIME EVERY AUGUST.

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THE PERSEID METOR SHOWER IS ONE OF THE OLDEST 
RECORDED METEOR SHOWERS IN HISTORY AND HAS

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BEEN SEEN EVERY AUGUST FOR OVER 2000 YEARS!

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JAMES: 
NOW LET ME REMIND YOU OF THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT

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RULE FOR OBSERVING A 
METEOR SHOWER,

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WHICH IS YOU MUST CONSTANTLY SCAN THE SKY 
AND HAVE PATIENCE.

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YOU MAY SEE NO METEORS FOR 20 MINUTES OR SO 
AND THEN ALL

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OF A SUDDEN 2 OR 3 MAY FLASH BY ALL AT ONCE.

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DEAN: 
BUT EACH TIME YOU SEE

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A PERSEID STREAK ACROSS THE SKY REMIND YOURSELF 
THAT WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IS A TINY

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COMET PIECE IGNITING YOUR NIGHT.

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BOTH: KEEP 
LOOKING UP!