Perseid Star Power

The Perseid Meteor Show begins tonite. Make wishes on hundreds of beautiful shooting stars. The Perseids appear in the region of the constellation Perseus, from the ancient Greek word “Perseids” meaning daughters of Perseus. The meteors are called Perseids because they appear to shoot away from the constellation Perseus, a hero of Greek myth. Because the Perseids usually make their display around August 10, which the Roman Catholic Church recognizes as the feast of Saint Lawrence, they have been referred to as the fiery “tears” of Saint Lawrence.

The Perseids are expected to reach their maximum on Friday, August 12 and again early morning Saturday. The new crescent moon will allow for clear viewing, there will be about 5 hours of dark, moonless skies. While typically there is one meteor every minute, sometimes you can see several Perseids streak across the sky all at once. The key is to not "watch" for the shooting stars, but to let them surprise you out of the corner of your eyes. Like most things in life, they show up when you least expect it. May all of your wishes and dreams come true.