An artist's depiction of a shooting star. Look out for meteors of all sizes during the shower this month!
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of Corel Photography
Make a wish on a shooting star! It's time for the Perseid meteor shower!
News story originally written on August 8, 2002
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be able to see hundreds of meteors an hour during the nights of August 12th and 13th, 2002, when the meteor shower is biggest.
To see the most meteors, ask your parents if you can wake up an hour or two before the sun rises on either day. Make sure the sky is not covered with clouds. The meteors will be shooting through the northeast part of the sky.
Earlier in the evening, at 9 or 10 pm, you might be able to see Earthgrazers. They are meteors that streak slowly and colorfully through the atmosphere down near the horizon.
Perseid meteoroids are little pieces of the comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet has a lot of dust that travels with it. The dust makes a cloud that the Earth speeds through every year at about this time. They may be tiny, but these dust particles can make an amazing show in the night sky!
Last modified August 8, 2002 by Lisa Gardiner.
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