Here’s How To Watch The Perseid Meteor Shower Tonight On This Free Livestream
Sky watchers may have already noticed an uptick in the amount of shooting stars streaking across the night sky. That is in large part due to the Perseid meteor shower having started around the middle of July. The Perseids are one of the most vibrant and consistent meteor showers that occur throughout each year, resulting from debris from comet Swift-Tuttle passing through Earth's atmosphere. This active shower is capable of producing as many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour in a clear night sky. Those who love to count and wish on falling stars can do so from the comfort of their own home via a live feed courtesy of The Virtual Telescope Project (VTP).
The live feed will be a definite benefit to anyone who may be in a location with bad weather, as it takes advantage of wide-field cameras in different locations around the world. Perhaps the best view will be from the camera VTP has installed under the dark skies of its facility in Manciano, Italy, in the Maremma countryside.
No one needs to worry too much if they miss tonight's peak, because the highly active meteor shower will continue to provide a gala of shooting stars throughout the rest of August. The peak is happening just days before the new moon on August 16, which also can create the prime conditions for nighttime sky watching.
Those in the Northern Hemisphere should be able to begin viewing a few falling stars around 10pm, with the best viewing hours coming during the pre-dawn hours. It is also recommended to put phones down, as the light from it can cause a person's eyes to have to adjust to the dark, resulting in missing out on what might be the best falling space rock of the night.
The free live stream of the Perseid meteor shower can be viewed from the link above. If you choose to go outside and view the meteor shower, be sure to find a dark spot away from any city light pollution, lay down on a blanket with your feet pointing toward the northeast, and enjoy the show.
