Thursday, August 11, 2005
Addendum 1: In case you haven't heard, tonight is the peak night of this year's Perseid meteor shower, as the Earth swings through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a tiny smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light—a meteor—when it disintegrates. Best viewing will be between 2 a.m. (EST) and dawn. Look to the east, and get out away from city lights (this is getting harder and harder, I know). Plus, we get a bonus. Look for Mars in the constellation Aries, very near to Perseus. It's very bright right now.
3:42 PM
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