Super Moon And Meteor Shower To Light Sunday Sky

The annual Perseid meteor shower is due to arrive on Sunday, August 10. The shower is most visible at its peak, between Sunday August 10 and Wednesday August 13, and it will remain visible for a week after its peak. The light show, which could normally bring as many as 100 shooting stars per hour, ABC News reports, will pass our planet at the same time earth and the moon are at their closest distance.

Super Moons occur on a handful of occasions each year, when the earth and moon are at their closest proximity to each other, around 30,000 miles closer than usual, and at the same time a full moon is visible on earth.

The Perseid meteor shower lights up the night sky in late July or early August each year, when the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet launches space debris into earth’s atmosphere at around 100,000 miles per hour.

USA Today reports Super Moons bring with them 30 percent more light, and this month’s Super Moon will be the brightest of the year. This could make Perseid’s dimmer meteors harder to spot.

The best times to view both events should be in the early morning hours between Sunday and Wednesday, however, Alan MacRobert with Sky & Telescope Magazine says an alternative option is to look for meteors in the early evening as night falls, when the moon is low in the east.

The Perseid, often referred to as the “Old Faithful” of meteor showers, is also typically considered to be the most visible. But, earlier this year, a newly discovered comet spit space dust into earth’s atmosphere and was said to rival Perseid. The most interesting thing about this ‘May Camelopardalid,’ as it was dubbed, is that it was dust that had been ejected by a comet in the 1800s, according to NASA.

The very dim comet was discovered in 2004 and was found to orbit the sun every 5 years, but this year marked the first time earth lined up to pass through its debris field, the Lansing State Journal reported. Michigan had the best view of that meteor shower, and is among those states that will have the best view of Perseid as well.

Christian Post reports that those in the Northern Hemisphere might want to grab some blankets or chairs and get comfy because, while that’ll be the best place to stargaze, spotting a shooting star can take a while.

If you’re able to grab some good shots of the Super Moon or Perseid Meteor Shower, be sure and share your photos with us on Facebook and Twitter!