Where can I see a constellation map that will help me pinpoin the Perseids meteor shower tonight?
The Perseids (pronounced /ˈpɜrsiː.ɨdz/) is the name of a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so-called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passes by the Sun. Most of the dust in the cloud today is approximately a thousand years old. However, there is also a relatively young filament of dust in the stream that was pulled off the comet in 1862. The rate of meteors originating from this filament is much higher than for the older part of the stream. The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the first known information on this meteor shower coming from the Far East.[1] In early medieval Europe, the Perseids came to be known as the “tears of St. Lawrence.” [2] The shower is visible from mid
The constellation map shows the constellation Perseus, from where the Perseid meteor shower can be seen arising in the sky. This year, as a bonus, Mars is visible as a bright red dot in the east, after midnight. Credits: ESA – G. Barentsen As the Perseid meteor shower becomes visible in all its glory on 13 August, natural fireworks will fill the sky. Showers of meteors, or ‘shooting stars’, appear as bright streaks of light in the sky. The display runs through the night. Ads by Google Constellation Astrologer – Explains the rest of Year 2009 in a Free Personal Horoscope now online – www.AboutAstro.com World’s Most Powerful – Handheld Green Lasers! Beam Visible For Miles, Burn Through Plastic – www.LaserGlow.com Dust trails are left behind by every comet as it nears the Sun. As Earth’s orbit crosses the dust ejected by the comet Swift-Tuttle, a regular occurrence every August, it
