Community Corner
Perseid Meteor Shower 2013 Peak: Not Yet but the Show's Already On
Of all the meteor showers way, way out there, the Perseids is a real star.
The Perseid meteor shower 2013 peak doesn't arrive until Aug. 11-12, but the show is already underway.
A favorite of stargazers, 2013 should be a spectacular year, with no pesky moonlight to wash out the streaks.
Rainy skies Thursday aren't optimal for viewing night skies, but Friday should be better.
Want to know what to expect? Get an idea from this video of the Perseid meteor shower. Or check out these pictures of the Perseids.
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How spectacular is the show? NASA says Perseid rates can get as high as 100 visible meteors per hour, with many of them appearing not just as bright streaks but as fireballs hurtling through the sky.
The Perseids are the offspring of the comet Swift-Tuttle. We see the meteors when the Earth passes through the comet's orbit and sweeps up some of this debris. We see shooting stars -- rapid streaks of light -- as the tiny rocks encounter the thin upper atmosphere of the Earth and the air is heated to incandescence.
Find out what's happening in Chantillywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
You can see the shower anywhere in the sky, but look toward the southeastern sky to see the meteors at their brightest and longest.
Where to watch? The darker the area the better. You can always make plans to join the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club at Sky Meadows Park, about a 40-mile drive from Chantilly.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
