2014 Perseid Meteor Shower

I had an opportunity early this morning to view the Perseid Meteor Shower.

My girlfriend and I were able to see several "shooting stars", probably at a rate of one every two minutes. The trick was to find someplace dark enough, yet on a steep enough angle so we could stay in the car and lay back in the seats. Thanks to the construction on Highway 24 between IL 96 and Interstate 172, we were able to find almost the perfect spot.

Here are some facts from the nasa.gov Web site:

• Comet of Origin: 109P/Swift-Tuttle
• Radiant: Constellation Perseus
• Active: 17 July -- 24 Aug. 2014
• Peak Activity: 12-13 Aug. 2014
• Peak Activity Meteor Count: Up to 100 meteors per hour
• Meteor Velocity: 59 km (37 miles) per second

It actually worked out well, since Brian called me at 5:00am to ask if I would do the morning show for him. I just happened to be wide awake when he called!

The next time we are scheduled to have a meteor shower, I might talk about it on the radio to get a group together. Are you up for a group meteor shower?