Infographic: Seeing the Perseid meteor shower
The Perseid meteors will continue through Aug. 26, according to NASA. However, prime viewing time will coincide with a new moon with a new moon on Thursday between 3 a.m. and dawn.
Perseid meteors seem to originate from the constellation Perseus.
Pegasus
Cassiopeia
Triangulum
Perseus
Looking northeast
How well will
you be able
to see?
The last time the
Perseids peaked at
the same time as the
new moon (meaning
no moon in the sky)
was in 2007. This
means that even the
dimmest meteors will
be visible if viewed
far from man-made
light pollution. Below
is a comparison of
views from most to
least light pollution:
Inner city sky
Urban/
Suburban
transition
Suburban sky
Rural sky
Dark sky
Where does
the meteor
shower come
from?
As the Swift-Tuttle
comet flies through
space, it sheds bits
of material. Over
time, its orbit has
turned into a ring of
dusty debris. Each
August the Earth's
orbit takes it
through a small
section of this ring,
causing stray bits of
comet dust to slam
into our
atmosphere at 37
miles per second.
Current position of
Swift-Tuttle. One
orbit takes 133
years.
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Pegasus
Cassiopeia
Triangulum
Perseus
Looking northeast
How well will you be
able to see?
The last time the Perseids peaked at the same time as the new moon (meaning no
moon in the sky) was in 2007. This means that even the dimmest meteors will be visible if viewed far from man-made light pollution. Below is a comparison of views from most to least light pollution:
Inner city sky
Urban/Suburban
transition
Suburban sky
Rural sky
Dark sky
Where does the meteor
shower come from?
As the Swift-Tuttle comet flies
through space, it sheds bits of
material. Over time, its orbit
has turned into a ring of dusty
debris. Each August the
Earth's orbit takes it through a
small section of this ring,
causing stray bits of comet
dust to slam into our
atmosphere at 37 miles per
second.
Current position of
Swift-Tuttle. One orbit
takes 133 years.
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Pegasus
Cassiopeia
Triangulum
Perseus
Looking northeast
How well will you be able to see?
The last time the Perseids peaked at the same time as the new moon (meaning no moon in the sky) was in 2007. This means that even the dimmest meteors will be visible if viewed far from man-made light pollution. Below is a comparison of views from most to least light pollution:
Inner city sky
Urban/Suburban
transition
Suburban sky
Rural sky
Dark sky
Where does the meteor shower
come from?
As the Swift-Tuttle comet flies through
space, it sheds bits of material. Over
time, its orbit has turned into a ring of
dusty debris. Each August the Earth's
orbit takes it through a small section of
this ring, causing stray bits of comet
dust to slam into our atmosphere at 37
miles per second.
Current position of
Swift-Tuttle. One orbit takes
133 years.
Earth
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Cassiopeia
Pegasus
Triangulum
Perseus
Looking northeast
How well will you be able to see?
The last time the Perseids peaked at the same time as the new moon (meaning no moon in the sky) was in 2007. This means that even the dimmest meteors will be visible if viewed far from man-made light pollution. Below is a comparison of views from most to least light pollution:
Where does the meteor
shower come from?
As the Swift-Tuttle comet flies through space, it sheds bits of material. Over time, its orbit has turned into a ring of dusty debris. Each August the Earth's orbit takes it through a small section of this ring, causing stray bits of comet dust to slam into our atmosphere at 37 miles per second.
Current position of Swift-Tuttle. One orbit
takes 133 years.
Cassiopeia
Pegasus
Triangulum
Perseus
Looking northeast
How well will you be able to see?
The last time the Perseids peaked at the same time as the new moon (meaning no moon in the sky) was in 2007. This means that even the dimmest meteors will be visible if viewed far from man-made light pollution. Below is a comparison of views from most to least light pollution:
Where does the meteor shower come from?
As the Swift-Tuttle comet flies through space, it sheds bits of material. Over time, its orbit has turned into a ring of dusty debris. Each August the Earth's orbit takes it through a small section of this ring, causing stray bits of comet dust to slam into our atmosphere at 37 miles per second.
Current position of Swift-Tuttle. One orbit takes 133 years.
Earth
Sources: Swift-Tuttle orbit image courtesy of William J. Cooke, NASA; Light pollution image courtesy of John Barentine, International Dark-Sky Assn.; Alan MacRobert Sky and Telescope. Graphics reporting by Deborah Netburn and Raoul Ranoa. @latimesgraphics
Raoul Ranoa@latimesgraphics
