Copernical Team
Forecast perfect for 'mythic' Perseid meteor spectacle
The Perseid meteor shower peaks Aug. 12 to 13 and the stars are aligning for a really big show, according to Western's Denis Vida.
Sunday, Aug. 8, marks the arrival of a new moon, so the sky will be relatively dark and forecasts to be ideal for a viewing of the annual meteor shower on Wednesday or Thursday night.
A new moon is when the sun and moon are close together as seen from Earth, so both are not visible during the night.
"If you happen to find yourself outside of the city or perhaps on a beach on Wednesday or Thursday night, look up! Every couple of minutes or so you will see a bright meteor zipping across the sky," said Vida, a postdoctoral associate in Western's department of physics and astronomy.
All of the meteors are coming from the same direction—a specific point in the constellation of Perseus.
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