Don’t Miss the 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower Extravaganza!
Heads up, sky watchers! The 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower will be one for the records. Since there will be an almost New Moon, the view from a dark viewing spot on clear, cloudless night promises to be a crowd pleaser.
This year, the Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its best during the coming weekend, Saturday night, August 12th and Sunday night, August 13th. The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the brighter annual meteor showers, but this year, with the Moon shrinking to an invisible Micro New Moon, the sky will be about as black as it can get, so spectators can expect to see as many as 100 shooting stars (and some fireballs, too) every hour.
The Perseid showers began in mid-July and will persist until the end of August, so avid sky watchers have already witnessed sporadic shooting stars and will do so for a few more weeks. But if you want to join me in enjoying the most shooting stars per hour, mark your calendar now for this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13, and make plans to locate the best vantage point in your area for witnessing one of the universe’s most impressive shows.
If the weather forecast for your area is clear and cloudless, and you live in a well-lit city (or near one), it’s best to “get outta Dodge” and into the hinterlands, as high up and away from artificial lighting as possible. If you live on or near a mountain range, you will have the best view of the Perseids.
Dress according to the night-time weather in your location on these nights. Take something along to lie down on — a yoga mat, sleeping bag, air mattress, or antigravity recliner — so you can easily look up into the night sky for hours. Remember that you will need up to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the level of darkness that will surround you on a light-pollution-free night. Take a blanket or two, something warm to drink, and get comfortable. Refrain from using backlit mobile devices, to help preserve keener night vision. Be prepared to drift into/out of sleep, and just enjoy the experience like our ancestors did.
Hint: To find the correct “stage” for the Perseid meteor extravaganza, gaze toward the radiant in the Perseus constellation (from whence this meteor shower gets its name). If you can’t readily spot Perseus, look for Cassiopeia, which looks like a W or an M — because it may be easier to locate in the night sky.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant rises into the sky during the night, reaching its highest point at dawn. So, you can expect to see more “shooting stars” (meteors) after midnight than before.
Another hint: even though meteors emanate from the radiant, they can show up anywhere, so you’ll be seeing some of them out of the corner of your eyes at times.
A bonus: during these nights, you will also be able to see Jupiter and Saturn without a telescope in the eastern and southern sky. They will appear as larger, bright stars, but they won’t twinkle the way distant stars do.
But Wait! There’s Even MORE to See Overhead in August!
On August 31st you will be able to experience a double delight: a Super Blue Moon!
The last time a Super Blue Moon occurred was in December 2009, and the next time it will happen is August 2032, so catch it this year, if you can! (The next Blue Moon will occur in August 2024, but it won’t be a Supermoon.)
Check for Your best time to see the Perseids here.
All of these phenomenal celestial events are not only breathtaking to watch, but also have a profound energetic impact on our everyday lives. And if you learn to analyze exactly what impact the planets are having, you can completely alter the course of your decision making, and thus your life. Want to figure out how to do this based on a proven, ancient science? Join our Vedic Astrology course today by clicking here >>
