38 Meteors An Hour Will Pass Over Cedar Rapids Skies
Get ready to see some meteors! Next month would be the perfect time to do some camping or something involving being outside at night because there are going to be some pretty amazing spectacles to see. A meteor shower!
In-The-Sky.org describes a meteor shower as when "the Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by comets and asteroids. As pebble-sized pieces of debris collide with the Earth, they burn up at an altitude of around 70 to 100 km, appearing as shooting stars."
According to the site, on August 13 the Perseid meteor shower is going to be at its maximum rate of activity. This maximum rate equals out to visibly 80 meteors per hour. But, that's in perfect conditions with a dark sky and the radiant of the shower being overhead. We'll likely see a lesser rate of activity.
From Cedar Rapids, the radiant of the shower will appear 28° above your north-eastern horizon at midnight. This means you are likely to see only around 38 meteors per hour, since the radiant will be low in the sky, reducing the chance of seeing meteors.- In-The-Sky.org
The website states that some shooting stars from the shower will be able to be seen July 23-August 20. Get your campers and lawn chairs ready!
Find out what your city can be expected to see regarding the Perseid meteor shower HERE.