Ray and I went outside a few minutes ago (10:35 pm) and saw two impressive meteors shooting through the western sky within minutes of each other. Tonight is the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower with around 100 shooting stars an hour, and the shower goes well into the early morning hours. According to the Forbes website, the Perseids “phenomena” peaks annually in August and we are especially lucky this year because there is only a sliver of a moon, aiding visibility. Last year, when the shower took place, there was a full moon and the meteors were much more difficult to see.

These meteors travel at 37 miles per second or 133,200 miles per hour. The two we saw, were bright streaks shooting across the night sky before blinking out. According to Forbes, the Perseid shower is created when dust and rock particles ignite as they get close to Earth’s atmosphere. The comet that produces the particles is known as Swift-Tuttle or 109P and was discovered in 1862. The comet, which has a nucleus that is 16 miles across, makes multiple returns to the inner solar system.

So, if you happen to still be awake, then tip-toe outside and look up. No need for binoculars, you can see these meteors easily with the naked eye. You might have to exercise a little patience, but it will be worth it. Who else do you know is willing to lose a little sleep to see such an impressive celestial event?

As for me, I went out, I saw, and now I’m two minutes away from sliding into my comfy bed for the night.

Happy meteor gazing if you feel so inclined. I hope you have the chance to be dazzled. Or as Ray pointed out when we were gazing up at the dark night sky, “When you look up like this, you definitely understand just how small we all are.”

Happy shooting-star gazing.

This is not my photo but rather one taken in the Midwest. Still, that looks very much like the shooting stars we saw tonight.