Perseid Meteor Shower 2015 Will Peak Aug. 12-13

The brightest meteor shower of the year is coming up, and it should be very easy to see. The 2015 Perseid meteor shower is under way through Aug. 26, with activity peaking Aug. 12 and 13. The Perseids are typically the brightest of the year.

And Earthsky.org says this year should be an especially good year for Perseids since the moon will not come out until after sunrise, avoiding the pesky bright light it gives off.

And why not join other meteor shower fans the night of Aug. 12 at a Meteor Shower Star Party in Wheaton, sponsored by Adler Planetarium in Cantigny Park. Along with the stargazing, you’ll enjoy live music, a scavenger hunt for kids, hands-on science activities and presentations by an Adler astronomer.

Advance sales end on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at midnight. Same-day tickets can be purchased at Cantigny Park beginning at 6 p.m. Event check-in begins at 6 p.m. Guests may enter the grounds prior to event start time. Picnics are welcome before dusk. No pets (except for service animals) or alcohol are allowed into Cantigny Park. Bertie’s Coffee Shop at Cantigny Park will be open until 9 p.m.

Event will occur rain or shine. All ticket sales are final. No refunds will be granted.

» visit AdlerPlanetarium.org for tickets

Earthsky says the best time for viewing is after midnight, when the meteors will pick up steam until the “wee hours before dawn.” It will appear to originate from the constellation Perseus, which will be in the northeastern sky on the nights of Aug. 12 and 13.

NASA estimates that at its peak, Perseids will produce up to 100 meteors per hour streaking at 37 miles per second.

Meteor showers happen when the earth passes through the orbit of a comet. Bits of the comet that have broken off pass through earth’s atmosphere, and when they burn up, they create a gorgeous streaking pattern across the night sky.