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Best Time, Place to Watch Perseids Meteor Shower in Largo

With only partly cloudy skies forecast over Largo, we should be able to get a good view of the Perseids meteor shower, which is set to peak this weekend.

 

The threat of showers depart after 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in Largo, making way for better Perseids meteor-gazing conditions: partly cloudy skies and an overnight low in the mid to high 70s.

What's the best place in Largo to watch the meteor shower? The beach? Somewhere else? Do you plan to watch? Let us know in the comments section below!

The Perseids are a meteor shower visible when the Earth passes through the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The meteor shower has been visible for about 2,000 years. The Swift-Tuttle comet orbits once every 133 years, according to NASA.

“The Perseids can be seen all over the sky, but the best viewing opportunities will be across the northern hemisphere,” according to a 2011 NASA release. “Those with sharp eyes will see that the meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Perseus.”

Viewing Tips

At its peak, the Perseids meteor shower could display up to 40 meteors per hour in the pre-dawn hours Sunday. The American Meteor Society recommends viewing this meteor shower between midnight and dawn Saturday and Sunday.

Space.com has these tips and more:

  • Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too.
  • Be patient. It may take your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the light and see the meteors.
  • You don’t need binoculars or a telescope — that will only limit the amount of sky you can see.
Related Topics: Best place to watch meteor shower in Florida, Best place to watch meteor shower in Largo, Meteor Shower, Meteor Shower 2012, Perseids, Perseids Meteor Shower 2012, and Perseids Meteor Shower 2012 Peak

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