Meteor shower expected
Published 9 Aug 2012 09:00
A SPECTACULAR meteor shower is due to grace the skies this week.
The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on Sunday, August 12.
Meteors are small pieces of space dust - usually only about the size of a grain of sand - that burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere. The dust particles are travelling at over 130,000 mph, meaning that even the smallest piece will produce a vivid streak of light lasting a few seconds as it disintegrates.
The shower should start between 9pm and 10pm, and peak at around 2am with one of two meteors a minute. The observatory recommends that the best way to view the display is to wrap up warm and lie on a deck chair, simply watching the sky.
Binoculars or telescopes aren't recommend because of the speed the meteors move at.
This article appeared in The Gazette 09 Aug 12
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