Expect to See 39 Meteors An Hour Over Binghamton Very Soon

Look up starting July 23rd and you might see a whole bunch of meteors.

The Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum rate of activity, but meteors will be visible starting July 23rd and all the way through August 20th.

According in-the-sky.org meteor showers occur when:

Annual meteor showers arise when the Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by comets and asteroids. As pebble-sized pieces of debris collide with the Earth, they burn up at an altitude of around 70 to 100 km, appearing as shooting stars.

If you want to observe this awesome display of space and nature, the website provides specifics on where to look:

From Binghamton, the radiant of the shower will appear 29° above your north-eastern horizon at midnight. This means you are likely to see only around 39 meteors per hour, since the radiant will be low in the sky, reducing the chance of seeing meteors.

Only 39 meteors an hour? That about how many I have seen in my lifetime. August 13th will be a show you won't forget.

[via In-The-Sky.org]