The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most anticipated and popular meteor showers of the year. The shower started July 17, but its peak arrives tomorrow.
The Perseids are visible each summer when the Earth crosses paths with debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet on its 133-year orbit around the sun.
Meteor showers happen when enough debris skims across Earth's atmosphere, explains Jean Creighton, WUWM's astronomy contributor and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium.
"[Meteors hit] the top of our atmosphere at about 25,000 miles an hour," she says. "That creates such friction that it makes the air around it glow, so you have these quick streaks of light."
For the optimal Perseid meteor shower viewing experience, Creighton recommends getting out of the city and bringing blankets, snacks and bug spray. She says binoculars or a telescope are optional but not at all necessary.
"There's something magical about being out in nature when you're watching the sky give you a light show," she says.
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