Perseid meteor shower continues until August 24

The North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers (NSEAA) offers opportunities for Norfolk residents to share and explore their interest in astronomy. NSEAA member Bernd Mueller captured this image of the Andromeda galaxy, the closest galaxy to the Milky Way, where Earth resides. 

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

If you’re tired of watching summer reruns, there’s a different show running outdoors until August 24: the annual Perseid meteor shower. Though the shower began July 17 and peaked around August 12, there’s still plenty of time to catch the action.

What exactly is a meteor? Is it the same as a meteoroid? University of Alberta’s website offers the following explanation: Meteoroids are objects from space that cross Earth’s path. Once these items enter the Earth's atmosphere they form meteors.

“A meteor is the atmospheric phenomenon (a streak of light) created by a meteoroid as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere,” the website says.

The effect is caused when friction with the Earth's atmosphere makes the object heat up and give off light. A meteor shower occurs when there are a number of meteors at the same time.

In the case of the Perseid meteor shower, we have comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle to thank for the show, says Greg McMillan, president of the North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers. McMillan notes that the Perseid meteors appear to come out of the same spot in the sky, called the radiant. The radiant is located in the constellation of Perseus - hence the name of the shower. 

The meteors themselves can appear anywhere in the sky.

“As an observer you don’t want to look directly at the radiant, as the meteors will be coming at you head-on. It is best if you look away from this point so you can spot meteors with longer tails,” McMillan advises.

He says the best viewing time is “from midnight until the hour or so before dawn,” as the Earth moves into the stream of inbound particles. But if those hours don’t fit your schedule, you should still be able to catch some meteors earlier in the evening, once darkness has set in.

The constellation Perseus rises in the east just as the sun is setting and can be found throughout the night in the north to the northeastern sky. McMillan notes that there are a number of interactive night sky chart applications available for smartphones and tablets for those looking to locate the constellation.

McMillan says, “the best place to see the Perseid meteor shower is anywhere that’s dark with a good view of the whole sky. Light pollution brightens the night sky making it harder to see dimmer meteors.”

Observing away from an urban area is best, but “if this is not possible find a location not affected by direct light sources - maybe your backyard will work, but turn off the porch light and make sure that a street light is not interfering.” 

Your eyes take 15-20 minutes or more to adapt to the darkness, McMillan notes.

“Be aware - a single bright light will completely undo all your dark adaptation, so be sure to turn off any security lights, and set your phone to red light mode,” he advises. Red light helps preserve your adaptation to the darkness. 

The good news is that you don’t need any special gear to enjoy a meteor shower. Binoculars and telescopes aren’t needed; in fact, they can limit the field of view.

McMillan notes that “patience is also required” while observing meteors. “It is helpful to be comfortable by settling into a deck chair where you can scan large areas of the night sky.”

In the case of this year’s Perseid meteor shower, the presence of the moon will cause the sky to be a lot brighter, making meteor viewing a bit of a challenge. In addition, in some areas the sky’s transparency will be impacted by forest fire smoke.

On the plus side, meteor viewers in Norfolk County benefit from the fact that we have “reasonably dark skies,” says McMillan. There are a lot of rural areas, and particularly near Turkey Point and the north shore of Lake Erie, there can be some excellent sky viewing conditions.

McMillan notes that those interested in learning more about astronomy are welcome to check out the offerings of the North Shore Erie Amateur Astronomers (NSEAA). On Saturday, August 16, NSEAA is teaming up with the Norfolk County Public Library to offer an information session titled “Exploring the Night Sky: A Beginner’s Guide to Astronomy.”

The presentation, which takes place at the Waterford Branch of the library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will discuss how to get started with amateur astronomy and exploring the stars. The event is open to beginners and experienced sky-watchers alike. The presentation, McMillan says, will discuss “how to explore the night sky as a beginning stargazer” including “skills needed, equipment, and telescopes.”

McMillan also notes that members of the public are welcome to check out NSEAA’s monthly meetings, which include presentations and information sharing about astronomy.

Meetings are held on the first Friday of the month (aside from June to August, and December) at the N.A.C.L. Building, 644 Ireland Road, Simcoe, starting at 7 p.m. Meeting information is posted on the club’s Facebook page. NSEAA also has a website at nseaa.ca where copies of the quarterly newsletter The Star Gazer and the monthly one-pager, Astronomy News, are available.