Every August for at least the last 2000 years (accounts go back perhaps since 69 B.C.) earth’s orbit takes us through the tail of Swift-Tuttle comet (NOT forecasted to strike Earth by the way). When our atmosphere interacts with the dust it produces a streak of light across the sky, a “shooting star”.

Go out early Sunday morning and look to the northeast. The waning gibbous with 85% of a full moon (four days past full) should be just to your right with the Perseus constellation straight ahead and about 40 degrees off the horizon appearing to be the origination point for the meteor shower. Basically you’ll need to stare at this point and wait; you could go 30 minutes and see nothing and suddenly see several in a row. Bring a chair!

The graphic (and much of this information) is from “The Star Hustler” Jack Horkheimer out of Miami. He’s a great ambassador from Astronomy and runs one of the country’s best Plantariums.

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