Everything You Need To Know About Perseid Meteor Shower In Maine

It’s mid August, and that means fun family viewing of the Perseid Meteor Shower in Maine.  Every year in August a summer display of meteors graces the night sky courtesy of the Swift Tuttle comet.  The earth falls in the debris path of the comet, and small particles (size and appearance of Grape Nuts Cereal) smash into our atmosphere at 132,000 miles per hour.  They reach temperatures as hot as the sun, and burn up as they streak across the sky.  The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus where many of the meteors appear from. Here’s what we can expect in Maine.

The Perseids can be seen between July 17th and August 24th. The peak however is this weekend.  Meteors can be seen any time after dark, but most are expected during the pre dawn hours. Another viewing bonus this year is the new moon is Saturday which will make for nice and dark viewing conditions.

Now to the tricky part… Friday early night may end up being our best viewing due to weather. It looks like we’ll be on the edge of a storm Saturday. Some rain and clouds should prevent ideal viewing this weekend,  and that may be the case early next week as well.  Stay tuned to www.wgme.com for updates on the forecast.

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Charlie Lopresti

About Charlie Lopresti

Charlie makes up the "Weather Part" of CBS News 13s evening edition. A native New Englander, he grew up enjoying the area's exciting and sometimes wild weather.