Sunrise Sunset

Fri., August 6 5:40 7:53

Sat., August 7 5:41 7:52

Sun., August 8 5:42 7:51

Mon., August 9 5:43 7:50

Tues., August 10 5:44 7:48

Wed., August 11 5:45 7:47

Thurs., August 12 5:46 7:46

Fri., August 13 5:47 7:44

The night skies ahead are promising for shooting stars. The annual big Perseid meteor shower takes place next Wednesday and Thursday nights, but you may see a meteor sooner. Meteors can be seen any night in the week ahead.

Last week there was a smaller meteor shower called the Delta Aquarids which has produced as many as 20 meteors an hour. The Perseid meteor shower has been known to produce as many as 50 meteors in an hour. When it comes to stragglers, the two showers overlap, making this an ideal month to look for meteors.

More meteors are seen this month than at any other time of year and it is not all due to these two popular showers. The weather contributes a lot. More people will enjoy a night outside in the summer than at any other time of year.

When it comes to seeing and counting a lot of meteors Wednesday and Thursday nights are best. If you want a more specific hour, the time to look would be soon after midnight on Friday morning.

The radiant of the shower is in the constellation Perseus, hence the name. Perseus appears in the east after midnight; it appears higher around 3 a.m. While you can see meteors anywhere in the sky, they will appear to radiate from the constellation.

M.A.L.