Although the Perseid meteor shower has been ongoing since mid-July, the peak is right around the corner — this weekend! And the weather is looking great in Wisconsin.
The annual event is considered the best meteor shower of the year. According to NASA, the meteors move fast and are particularly bright. Perseids leave long streaks of light and color behind them as they soar through Earth's upper atmosphere.
As with all meteors, the Perseids are seen because Earth is moving through the dusty trail of a comet. In this case the trail belongs to Comet 109P/Swift Tuttle. The pieces of space debris - like broken asteroids and comet particles - come into contact with Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate. Observers at the ground see this as a streak across the night sky.
Fireballs are also common during the Perseid meteor shower. As larger pieces of space debris move into Earth's atmosphere, they can put on quite the show. Fireballs are brighter and last a bit longer than the typical meteor streak.
THIS WEEKEND'S STORM TEAM 4CAST
Overall, weather conditions are looking great across Wisconsin. High-pressure remains in place across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Daytime heating allows some cumulus cloud development. As soon as nighttime sets in, that heating is lost and clouds begin to dissipate. Both weekend nights are trending mainly clear across most of the Badger State. Temperatures fall through the 60s and into the 50s overnight. Some low-lying areas may dip into the upper 40s across southern Wisconsin.
Medium-range computer guidance suggests some clouds from the Plains may move in late Sunday night. Cloud cover is more likely in western Wisconsin first thing Monday morning.
HOW TO VIEW THE PERSEIDS
As with all celestial events, the meteor shower is best viewed away from city lights. If you're in the Milwaukee or Madison metro areas, you'll need to travel to the countryside.
The best viewing is during the few hours before sunrise. However, you may be able to see meteors well after sunset (past 9pm). The Moon sets around 11:30p in Wisconsin. Viewing is recommended after this time.
Watch: Perseid meteor shower is peaking:
You'll want to look in the direction of the Perseus constellation - which is where the Perseids get their name from! This will be in the northern sky as viewed from Wisconsin. The meteors don't actually come from the constellation. Rather, it's a guide for which meteor shower viewers are looking at.
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS!
We realize it's almost impossible to capture a meteor from your cell phone's camera. But if you head out to view the meteor shower or plan on setting up a telescope, tell us about it! Send your photos/video to weatherteam@tmj4.com
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