Perseids
From Slackerpedia Galactica
The Perseids are a Meteor Shower cause by Earth passing through the debris field of Comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower is visible from mid-July but the bulk of the activity falls on August 8-14 peaking during August 12th.
The Perseids are a very reliable meteor shower, usually with a zenith hourly rate (ZHR) of around 100-120. ZHR is the amount you would see under perfect conditions (dark sky, good weather, no Moon). The meteors travel at ~130,000 miles per second, which is pretty fast for meteors meaning their trails are usually short but bright.
It is one of the two most well-known meteor showers, alongside the more erratically timed Leonids. The Perseids are often covered by the media as they serve as a visible introduction for aspiring astronomers. They are also purty.
External Links
- Slacker Astronomy audio podcast - an audio sound seeing tour of the 2005 Perseid meteor shower
- NASA coverage of the 2006 Perseids
- Wikipedia
