Science

Tips for viewing the Perseid meteor shower in Alaska

The Perseid meteor shower, widely regarded as the best meteor shower of the year, will peak Aug. 10-13 and be visible to many in Alaska after midnight and through the pre-dawn hours.

In Anchorage, the best viewing time for Perseid meteors, known for being fast, bright and plentiful, would be roughly between midnight and 3 a.m., Travis Rector, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, said Monday.

"The biggest factor is to get to dark skies, away from city lights, but also finding a place with big horizons," Rector said. He recommended Glen Alps and the Hillside as well as the Matanuska-Susitna region as good potential viewing spots.

The meteors are most easily seen on moonless nights just after midnight near the constellations of Cassiopeia and Perseus in the northeastern night sky, according to NASA.

Rector said the meteors will appear all over the sky, so it's not necessary to be looking directly northeast to see them.That their peak will coincide with a new moon will make viewing easier, he said.

Jeannette Lee Falsey

Jeannette Lee Falsey is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. She left the ADN in 2017.

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