How to spot next week’s shooting stars

If you’ve read my articles in the past then you know how much I love space. Whether it’s planets, moons, stars or asteroids, there is something fascinating about what happens outside of our world. One of the most ethereal things we see on Earth comes from outer space, and they’re called meteors.

Meteors are pieces of space rock or meteoroids that burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. The resistance caused by the air against the rock creates friction, making it extremely hot. As this happens a streak of light can be visible. What you’re seeing is the hot air as the meteor travels through the sky and, because of its glowing appearance, it’s more commonly known as a shooting star.

On any given night you may be lucky to see a shooting star or meteor, but there are also certain times of the year when you might have a better chance of seeing one. These nights are associated with meteor showers.

Meteor showers are created when Earth encounters many meteor

oids all at once. Why would that happen? Just like Earth, comets orbit the sun. As the comet moves closer to the sun pieces of the rock can break off, being released into space. Then, as Earth is also orbiting the sun, it will eventually pass right through one of these comet debris fields. When this happens a meteor shower will occur. Don’t worry, these meteoroids are usually small and typically not large enough to cause any serious concern.

There are several times of the year when meteor showers are likely to happen and each event has its own name. The names are given based on the constellation closest to where they originate from in the sky. For instance, the Perseids meteor shower gets its name because the meteors appear to fall from the constellation Perseus.

There is also a specific comet that is the source of the Perseid meteor shower. Between mid-July and late August, Earth crosses through the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle. It’s usually not until early August that we really pass through the greatest number of comet rubble, and that is when the meteor shower is projected to be at its peak.

On the mornings of Aug. 11, 12 and 13, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to be most active. The only problem is a bright moon might dim out some of the shooting stars, but NASA says up to 60 meteors per hour might still be visible during the night/predawn sky.

There are a few things to keep in mind when planning to head outside to view the meteor shower. First, find a dark, open sky away from buildings or trees and far from city lights. Second, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night. This may take up to 20 minutes. Finally, know where to look in the sky to see the origin of the meteor shower. In Ohio, that would be in the northeastern sky.

To learn more about the Perseid meteor shower and many more topics relating to space, visit the WHIO Skywitness7 page at www.whio. com/skywitness7. Also, if you capture photos or videos of what’s happening in the night sky, be sure to share them on social media using #skywitness7 or #iwitness7.