As earth passes through the debris trailing off the Swift-Tuttle Comet, an amazing display covers the night sky and is one of the biggest annual attractions for the star gazing community—the Perseid Meteor Shower. The phenomenon, which is set to have its biggest show tonight, is supposed to be particularly powerful this evening.
Here is why…
Last year was a down year for the Perseid show as a full moon’s light disrupted the visibility of meteors passing through the earth’s atmosphere. This year on the other hand, will be one for the books.
Due to the intervention of Jupiter’s extremely strong gravitational field, particles are pushed closer to Earth, allowing for a higher than average amount of space particles falling close to Earth’s surface.
The peak of the shower will occur shortly after 11pm (local time).
Here Are Some Amazing Facts About Comet Swift-Tuttle
- The Comet takes 133 years to make a single trip around the sun
- The last time the comet could be viewed from Earth’s surface was 1992
- The next time will be in 2126.. good luck getting there
- With a dark and clear sky, meteor tallies can go upwards of 90 per hour
- Lucky for us, Comet Swift-Tuttle never comes closer than 160 million miles to Earth