Science in Action

On Wednesday, August 12th at 4am ET the Perseid Meteor Shower will be visible.  The Perseids appear to come from the constellation Perseus but are actually bits of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, which has been orbiting the sun for centuries. The Earth passes through these streams of shooting stars every August.  The key to a good view will be finding an area with little light pollution.  Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour, although many of the fainter fireballs will not be visible due to moonlight.  If you want to help your students better understand what meteors are or how meteor showers occur check out the great content on Discovery Education Science.