Mother Nature is set to put on a show tonight as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. As many as 100 meteors an hour can be seen in the skies right across the Northern Hemisphere, including in B.C. It’s all the result of Earth passing through the debris trail left by the Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Derek Kief of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre has some tips for Metro Vancouver residents who want to view the Perseid meteor shower.
“The best times and place to see the Perseid meteor shower are going to be right after sunset, about an hour after sunset, and an hour before sunrise. So early, early, early in the morning or just after at nighttime. And you want to get the city behind you, so you want to have the city to the south, to the southwest of you. Really good areas are going to be Deep Cove, Lynn Canyon, anywhere on the North Shore, really.”
Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga says clear skies are in the forecast for much of southern and central B.C., which could make for good viewing, although wildfire smoke in eastern parts of the Fraser Valley could be a factor.
Here are some more tips for watching the best meteor shower of the year.
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