Coming To Town This Weekend - A Spectacular Meteor Show

Every year around this time, earthlings are treated to a spectacular meteor shower that is like none other - This year is no exception and for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning, there is an added bonus!

Dubbed Perseids because they seem to spurt from the constellation Perseus, the meteors have already been streaming through our skies at the rate of about a dozen per hour for the last few weeks. However, this weekend they will accelerate to 50 or more per hour, making it relatively easy to spot them, with the naked eye.

If that's not enough, the International Space Station is scheduled to make a couple of flybys's over the United States and will also be visible at around the same time - The only damper? A bright full moon that may dim the shooting stars a little!

The meteors, which hit the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of 140,000 mph are debris left behind by the Comet, Swift-Tuttle as it traveled through the area on its 132-135-year orbit. We happen upon them the same time each year, as the Earth passes through the region along its orbit around the sun. And, while they can be seen from most parts of the world, they are most visible from the Northern Hemisphere because of the path of the Swift-Tuttle's orbit.

So be sure to set your alarm clocks a little early on Saturday, August 13th, or better still make plans to stay up late into the night because according to NASA, the best times to view the show will be between 11 pm to 5 am EDT. And, don't forget to make a wish or two - They are bound to come true!

sources: wikipedia.org, telegraph.co.uk,