Best Time To See Perseid Meteor Shower In Arizona Is This Week

By Sara Hammond
Published: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - 1:55pm
Updated: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - 1:59pm
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(Photo by Dominic Alves - CC BY 2.0)
The peak of the Perseid meteor shower in August 2010.

The annual summer celestial fireworks show known as the Perseid meteor shower peaks in Arizona skies this week.

Prime viewing for the shower is after midnight, until just before dawn. Up to 60 shooting stars an hour are possible.

Adam Block of the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter said get away from city lights starting Tuesday evening — and be patient.

"Well, the Perseid meteor shower will be visible with the most meteors on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and into their mornings," Block said.

The streaks of light in the night sky are caused by dust particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

"But meteors are no larger than grains of sand or smaller. They are tiny, tiny things," said Block.

Once you reach a dark spot, Block said just look up. The meteors radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeast sky, but you don’t have to be looking that direction to enjoy the show.

The dust particles were left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 130 years and provides us a yearly astronomical display.

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