In case you missed it – summer's most popular meteor shower is set to peak tonight above Colorado, with the celestial event remaining active through September 1.
During the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, rural locations can see about 50 to 75 meteors per hour at maximum activity levels. That being said, this year, there's one big catch – the moon.
On the night of August 11 to 12, when the peak of this meteor shower is set to take place, the moon will be 100 percent full. This brightness may make it hard to see a lot of the action.
According to the American Meteor Society, the shower will remain active through September 1 over the northern hemisphere, including in the sky above Colorado. After tonight, the moon will continue to decrease in illumination through August 27, which may mean that naked eye meteor spotting may be better after tonight's full moon peak. In other words, campers should keep an eye out for shooting stars through the end of the month.
The next meteor shower set to blast across the sky will be the Orionids, which starts on September 26 and is set to produce about 10 to 20 meteors per hour during an October 20-21 peak. During that peak, the moon will be just 21 percent full.
Find a full meteor shower calendar here.
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