Perseid Meteor Shower In The Texas Skies: When and Where To See It

Everyone loves a free show especially if it's literally in your own backyard.  Well, get out the lawn chairs and get out the bug spray because the best night of the year to catch shooting stars in Texas is coming up!  The Perseid Meteor Shower has been active since July 14th and is around to September 1st. According to "The Backyard Astronomer" Gary Boyle on his website Wonders of Astronomy, the peak night to watch the meteor shower is coming up...

"The highlight of any summer other than camping and going to the cottage is viewing the annual Perseid Meteor Shower....We should see 60 to 80 meteors (commonly called shooting stars) dashing through the sky at 59 km/second, lighting up the night.

"What we are seeing is earth plowing through the dusty debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a 26 km or 16 mi wide mountain of ice, dust and gravel that last appeared in 1992 in its 133-year orbit around the sun. It will return in the year 2125."

While the shower will run through the month, the night of August 12 leading into the early hours of August 13th will be your best chance at catching this celestial display. If you're really interested in witnessing the starry sight, be sure to plan around the optimal time frame of around 2 or 3 AM till morning twilight.

Why these wee hours? According to a fair friend of ours, Warren, this is when "the meteors are all coming one direction, and that direction happens to be highest in the sky during those hours."

Keep in mind, you'll want to find a spot away from the city lights of Lubbock--preferably some place generally east or northeast. Bring a blanket to lay and stretch out flat on your back and keep your eyes on the sky. Once it becomes fully dark, there's quite the chance of catching sight of these shooting stars in their course.

Be sure to mark your calendars - Happy viewing!

(Editor's note: A special thank you to our ever-educational friend, Warren O.)