The Perseid Meteor Shower for 2016 is expected to be one of the most active in history with the possibility during the peak of producing 150 to 500 “shooting stars” per hour.
The 2016 Perseids are to peak August 11 and 12. The Perseids are produced by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet produces gas and debris when it approaches the Sun. The encounter between the comet’s tail and Earth takes place every year between July and August. When the debris particles contact the Earth’s atmosphere it creates Perseid “shooting stars”. Enhanced activity is anticipated for 2016 with the possibility of seeing 150 to 500 Pereids per hour. Perseids can be seen anywhere in the sky but appear to come from the constellation Perseus. Some Perseids are small flickers while some can be really bright fireballs that are produced from larger cometary debris. Best place to observe is in extremely dark areas with clear skies away from city lights.
