Over the weekend, stargazers may have noticed 60 to 80 meteors dashing through the sky at 59 km/second, as the Perseid meteor shower lit up the night.
This year, the peak night occurred on the night of Aug. 12 into the morning of Aug. 13.
The meteor shower is a result of Earth plowing through the dusty debris of the comet Swift-Tuttle.
Astronomy educator Gary Boyle said the Perseids are a great way to introduce people to the wonders of space.
“At times we see Perseids at one per minute, even more sometimes, sometimes you won’t see one for a couple of minutes,” he said.
“They’re appearing in all different directions of the sky, north, south, east or west overhead, so it’s best for people to maybe get a few friends or family together and set up chairs in different directions. ”
Although the peak night has passed, the showers last until the end of summer and Boyle encouraged those eager to see them, to keep and eye out in the night sky in the following days.
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