Summer Skies is about to put on a big show

(News)
– It’s summer in the United States, it’s time to find a park, a yard, a dark and quiet place and look at the stars. The star of the show is still the Perseid meteor shower, which begins soon (usually July 14) and lasts for about a month, peaking in mid-August. Look for the streaks of light that appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, although it is not necessary to locate this constellation to enjoy the spectacle. The meteors are fragments of comet 109p / Swift-Tuttle, plus a few pieces of asteroids, burning in Earth’s atmosphere, sometimes as spectacular fireballs, reports CBS News.

It is not the only spectacle that the sky offers us this summer. Look for a bright star – actually Venus – next to the crescent moon just after sunset on Monday (July 12), for example Forbes. The next full moon, July 23 – the “Buck” moon – will receive a little more stellar power from Saturn and Jupiter. The next new moon and darkest sky will be August 8. Look for the Perseids which will peak in the dark sky a few nights after this. And, if you can get a really dark place with minimal light pollution, look to the sky to the south for the Milky Way. (Read more stories about the Perseids.)