Thursday, August 12, 2010

Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight Posted by Phillip Torrone

 Pubd 2001 03 15 0001166699 Perseid3 Sk Big
Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight Jillian @ Boston Herald writes -
Instead of staring at the TV late Thursday night, how about staring at the sky? Stargazing is on the agenda for many people this week with the annual Perseid meteor shower reaching its peak late Thursday and into early Friday.

While some local events will provide access to telescopes, they’re unnecessary during the shower -- anyone can catch the show, said David McDonald, director of education at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, N.H..

"You never know where they’re going to appear," McDonald said. "When they do appear, they’re moving pretty quickly. Telescope views would be just happenstance, and very lucky."
The meteors are best viewed with the naked eye and from the ground. "Go outside, lie down," McDonald said. "Do not stand and cock your neck back."

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