perseid meteor shower toronto

How to view the Perseid meteor shower near Toronto

The Perseid meteor shower is about hit its peak for 2015, and the weather looks like it will cooperate enough to allow Toronto residents to get in on the fun. But, as is the case with all these celestial events, you'll want to get as far away from the city's light pollution as possible to maximize your viewing potential.

You don't need to head to an area of complete darkness to see a few shooting stars, but if you hope to see the 100 per hour that some astronomers are predicting, you'll want to use this map to hunt down a light pollution-free area.

This year's shower is set to peak this Wednesday night just after midnight (technically, Thursday morning). What makes this year's event so tantalizing is that the moon is almost new, meaning its glare will not interfere with the shower.

Your best bet for seeing a strong display of shooting stars is to exercise common sense. Check weather maps to ensure there's no cloud cover, seek out as dark a viewing spot as possible, make sure to bring something that'll keep you comfortable as you stare at the sky for over an hour and give your eyes time to acclimatize to the dark.

If your knowledge of the night sky is decent, you'd do well to locate the radiant point of the meteor shower, which aligns with the constellation Perseus. You don't, however, have to do this. Just look up. If you've picked a good location, you should see lots of meteors.

Photo via Nasa


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