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NASA, ScienceCasts
The Perseids meteor shower is caused by tiny bits of rock from an old comet passing through Earth's upper atmosphere.
Shooting stars can best be seen in the night sky once the clock strikes midnight Sunday.
The annual Perseids meteor shower is happening this weekend and local astronomer Dave Gallant said the best time to see the streaks of light in the sky is pre-dawn Sunday morning, but anytime after midnight tonight will also be good.
“We saw a number of them last night,” said Gallant from Quetico Provincial Park Saturday.
While the shooting stars aren’t technically stars, Gallant said people will be able to see up to 60 meteors streak across the sky per hour.
“No need for binoculars or a telescope, just lay back and scan back and forth across the sky,” Gallant said.
He also warned star gazers to dress warm as the summer nights are getting colder.
The Perseids meteor shower happens every year in early August as tiny bits of rock and debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet passes through the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
When the rocks pass through, the air is heated and causes the meteors to glow.
The comet was named after Americans Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle who discovered it in 1862.
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