SPOKANE, Wash. — The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is set to peak Sunday night, Aug. 11, and early Monday morning.
In the Inland Northwest, astronomical events are often tough to see due to cloud cover, smoke or various other earth weather events that block the night sky.
For the peak of the meteor shower, conditions aren’t perfect, but there are chances to get a view.
Over the Inland Northwest, skies are expected to be partly cloudy late Sunday night. The moon phase is a waxing crescent with over 40% illumination. The perfect conditions would be no cloud cover and a new moon with no illumination. This time of year, smoke can also cause visibility issues, but barring any new fire starts in the region, it should not heavily obscure viewing across most of the Inland Northwest.
The Perseid Meteor Shower happens every year as the earth orbits through debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. Meteors typically appear around the constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia.
During the peak of the meteor shower, up to 100 can be seen an hour. Though the peak is at the end of the weekend, the meteor shower itself lasts until Aug. 24.
For best viewing chances, find a place with little light pollution and look up. A long exposure camera is great for capturing the path of the meteors. If you get any pictures, send them to q6news@khq.com, and they may appear on air! Happy meteor hunting!
