What’s that in the sky? A meteor shower!

What are you planning to do for the next couple of nights? You might try looking up at the night sky to see the Perseids meteor shower! This meteor shower appears every August around this time, when Earth crosses the debris-strewn orbital path of its parent, Comet Swift-Tuttle. Advice on how to watch (especially Wednesday night into the wee hours of Thursday morning) is available from the Washington Post.

NASA’s research indicates that the Perseid meteor shower is more likely to produce ‘fireballs’ (really bright meteors) than others. See NASA’s “Perseid Fireballs” web page.

Andersen Library can help you learn more, with resources from the ebook Patrick Moore’s practical astronomy: Field guide to meteors and meteorites (ebrary) to articles including “Properties of the lunar exosphere during the Perseid 2009 meteor shower” (Planetary and Space Science, 2014:June, vol.96, pp.90–98) and “Dark nights for fine Perseids” (Sky & Telescope, 2015, vol.130:no.2, pp.48-50).

Enjoy.

About Barbara

I am a Reference & Instruction librarian, head of that department in Andersen Library, an associate professor, and a member of the General Education Review Committee and Faculty Senate. I've been working at UW-W since July 1, 1990.
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One Response to What’s that in the sky? A meteor shower!

  1. spudart says:

    Ooo. Thanks for the reminder about the meteor shower tonight!

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