Planets Align for Best Meteor Shower of Year Thursday Night

If you’re looking for low-tech star gazing action, Thursday night is the time to grab a blanket and head outside to watch the Perseid meteor shower.

Just after sunset Thursday evening, Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent moon will huddle very close together in the western sky after months of moving closer together. And as the moon sets and the sky darkens starting around 10:30 p.m. (local time), the annual Perseid meteor shower will put on its best performance of the year.

The Perseids are visible every year in early August when the Earth moves through a cloud of dust and debris left by the Swift-Tuttle comet. The shooting stars are caused by dust and debris colliding with the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burning up.

At the peak of the shower under optimal conditions, you can expect to see up to 100 shooting stars per hour. The best time for seeing them will be after the moon sets, during the late night and very early morning.

This meteor shower is a perfect time to work on your astronomical photography skills. Check out our how-to wiki on photographing the stars for some step-by-step advice.