Head Outside For A Spectacular Meteor Shower Show

The Perseid meteor shower will offer skywatchers a view of what is considered the best meteor shower of the year starting tonight nationwide, including right here in Southern Utah.

The Perseids are known for fireballs that last longer than an average meteor and are created by debris left from the Swift-Tuttle comet. Scientists say upwards of 100 meteors per hour can be seen during the peak times.

Read More Here: How To Best View The Lyrid Meteor Shower Tonight

The shower is expected to begin tonight (July 17) and last until at least Aug. 23, with the peak expected to happen from August 12-13.

According to NASA, the best time to see the Perseids is early in the morning before dawn.

For the best chance to see these "shooting stars," Space.com recommends these things:

• Go to the darkest location possible, away from city lights
• Go early, they are most easily seen just before dawn
• Allow a little time for your eyes to adjust to the dark (up to 30 minutes)
• Skywatchers looking out for the Perseids might also be treated to some stray meteors from the southern delta Aquariid meteor shower which peaks in late July
• According to Earth Sky the mornings of Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 are the best for Perseid hunting. Though Aug. 13 may also be good, Earth Sky advises meteor hunters to remember that Perseids tend to fall off rapidly after their peak.

Space.com also counsels "To find the Perseid meteor shower, it's a good idea to look for the point in the sky where they appear to originate from, this is known as the radiant. According to NASA, the Perseids' radiant is in the Perseus constellation. Though Perseus isn't the easiest to find, it conveniently follows the brighter and more distinctive constellation Cassiopeia across the night sky. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation it radiates from, the constellation is not the source of the meteors.

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