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Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies

Don’t miss one of the greatest shows on Earth!

The Perseid meteor shower is at its peak August 12 & 13, so make sure to take in the show!  At the shower's height, you can expect as many as 100 meteors per hour in the pre-dawn hours (fewer in urban areas). 

The yearly Perseid meteor shower is the result of Earth's orbit intersecting the debris tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.  The meteors are the result of small debris particles burning up as they enter Earth's atmosphere, and do not produce meteorites.  For more information on meteors vs meteorites, click here!

A compilation of events seen during the peak of the 2010 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 13, 2010, over Huntsville, Ala. (NASA/MSFC/D. Moser, NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office)
A compilation of events seen during the peak of the 2010 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 13, 2010, over Huntsville, Ala. (NASA/MSFC/D. Moser, NASA NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office)

For further information on the Perseids, including viewing tips, details on Comet Swift-Tuttle, and live streaming of the meteor shower, click on the links below!  Happy stargazing!

NASA JPL

NASA

American Meteor Society

Space.com