Meteor shower (Perseids version)
Caused by the remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle, August's Perseid meteor shower will peak from Midnight(s) to dawn on the night of Aug. 12-13, so you may have to delay your wildest dreams to see these meteors. In the Northern Hemisphere, the "shooting stars" appear throughout the sky but will appear to originate in-between the upside down "W" of constellation Cassiopeia and the bright star Capella in the northeast. Keep your eyes open and find a blank space near you with a dark sky to watch the sparks fly, because the Perseids are known for fireballs and longer streaks.
Meteors come from leftover bits of asteroids and the dusty tails of comets. Throughout the year, Earth passes through these debris trails, allowing the small particles to enter our atmosphere. The friction causes most of them to heat up and disintegrate, creating streaks across the sky.
Image description: Out in the woods of Spruce Knob, West Virginia, the sky appears black and...
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