Annual Perseid meteor shower to light up Maine's sky this weekend

Mainers should watch the sky on Saturday night and into early Sunday morning for the yearly Perseid meteor shower. The expected peak for 2023 will be in the early hours of Sunday, August 13th.

This specific showing for 2023 is active from July 14 to September 1 and happens every year, typically peaking around mid-August. This year, the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to present around 50 to 100 meteors an hour according to NASA.

According to the American Meteor Society and experienced observers, the best viewing time for the northeast will be from 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Background on the Perseid meteor shower.

This meteor shower appears every summer and will always peek in mid-August. These specific meteors are pieces of debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. It takes 133 years for this comet to fully travel around the sun. The last time the Comet Swift-Tuttle visited Earth's solar system was in 1992.

Here is what folks at home need to know if they want to catch the spectacular show.

Just our luck for 2023, the moon will be a waning crescent on August 13, meaning that the moon's usual brightness will not interfere for viewing purposes.

Find a dark viewing spot, and try and make sure no trees or tall objects are obstructing your view from the night sky. Give yourself about 30 minutes or more to get your eyes adjusted to the dark sky.

Lay down on your back and look away from the moon to the north. Focus your eyes on the clearest and darkest portion of the sky. The more stars you see, the better chance you have.

Look for the Cassiopeia constellation, it looks like an 'M' or a "W'. You'll catch frequent meteors whipping through the sky between Cassiopeia and the Perseus constellation.

Be patient, the meteors come at different times in different spots.

As always, dress for the weather. You could be outdoors for up to an hour or more. Even though it is August, it is not warm at night.

Currently, the forecast for Saturday night in Maine indicates that it will be rainy and stormy. However, Sunday morning is still a few days away. According to the early models, there will be clear skies along the coast at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, while there may be clouds further inland. This forecast will be updated every day until the show.

The next meteor shower will be Orionids which begins September 26 and lasts until November 22. It will peak October 20th-21st.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/perseids/in-depth/

https://www.amsmeteors.org/2023/08/viewing-the-perseid-meteor-shower-in-2023/