Night Sky Astronomy

Just a quick post here to remind everyone that the Perseid Meteor Shower of 2015 is nearly at its peak. The peak this year is on the night of the 12th August, going into the morning of the 13th August. It is going to be a really good year as well due to there being no moon, which means over a hundred meteors each hour should be seen relatively easily if you are in a dark location (like up on Dartmoor). All we need is a clear sky, although this could be the issue as the forecast (for Plymouth) is cloud. It will be a real shame if it is cloudy with it being a great year for meteor spotting!

I had a quick look at the sky last night as it was crystal clear over my house, but didn’t see any, probably as it wasn’t quite dark enough. I could just about make out the Milky Way though, so I reckon that if I was able to stay out later, I would have seen some.  You should be able to see the meteors now and through until about the 24th August, so there is still hope if it is cloudy on the peak of the shower. I remember a few years ago, we saw some amazing meteors on the August Bank Holiday weekend, and that was over 2 weeks after the peak, so it is still well worth taking a look right up until the end of the month.

Good luck!

Origin of Perseid Meteors