[meteorite-list] 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower

[Ron Baalke]

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/10aug_perseids/

2012 Perseid Meteor Shower 
NASA Science News
August 10, 2012

On the nights of Aug. 11th through 13th, the best meteor shower of the year 
will fill pre-dawn skies with hundreds of shooting stars. And that's just for 
starters. The brightest planets in the solar system are lining up right in the 
middle of the display.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the nights around August 12th as Earth 
passes through a stream of debris from Comet 
Swift-Tuttle.

"We expect to see meteor rates as high as a hundred per hour," says Bill Cooke 
of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.  "The Perseids always put on a good 
show."

Perseids can be seen any time after 10 to 11 pm. The best time to look, however, 
is during the dark hours immediately before dawn. Also, advises Cooke, 
avoid city lights if possible. Faint meteors are easily lost in the urban 
glare. A visit to the countryside will typically triple the number of 
meteors you see.

This year's display is extra-special because of the planets.  Jupiter, Venus, 
and the crescent Moon are gathering together just as the Perseid meteor shower 
reaches its peak.   The alignment occurs in the eastern sky before sunrise on 
the three mornings of highest meteor 
activity.

On August 11th, a 33% crescent Moon will glide by Jupiter, temporarily forming 
a bright pair directly above brilliant Venus. Red-giant star Aldebaran will be 
there, too, adding a splash of color to the gathering.

On August 12th, the narrowing 24% crescent Moon will drop down between Jupiter 
and Venus. Together they make a bright 3-point line in the sky, frequently 
bisected by shooting stars.

On August 13th, with the shower just beginning to wane, the planets put on their 
best show yet:  The 17% crescent moon will pass less than 3 degrees from Venus 
as Jupiter hovers overhead. Sky watchers say there's nothing prettier than a 
close encounter between the slender crescent Moon and Venus--nothing, that is, 
except for the crescent Moon, Venus and a flurry of Perseids.

It's only natural, while you're watching a meteor shower like the Perseids, 
to count the number of shooting stars you see.  It turns out those numbers in 
your head are valuable. NASA wants them.  Meteor tallies gathered by amateur 
sky watchers can be used by NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office to study and 
model the Perseid debris stream.

"We've developed an app for Android and iPhones to help amateur sky watchers 
count meteors in a scientific way and report the results to us," says Cooke. 
"It's called the 'Meteor Counter' and it's available for free in the Android 
Marketplace and Apple's App Store."

For more news about the night sky and citizen science, please visit science.nasa.gov.


Author: Dr. Tony Phillips
Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips 
Credit: Science at NASA