Yes, it is true. According to NASA, August is the month of Meteors. This August is the Perseid Meteor Shower.We'll get to see some Perseids all month long -- before and after midnight -- but the real fireworks will be going on the 12th of August, 2009 between (yawn!) 2 and 4 am (California) and 9-11 AM (GMT) while Indian people might be disappointed with the time for India corresponding to this will be 2:30-4:30 PM. Still, people can try to see it after dark on the 11th or 12th of August
Metoer showers are best seen in the hours after midnight. That's when Earth is facing the d direction in which the dust particles are colliding with our atmosphere.
As a bonus, two more planets will show up, one Venus as the brighter one and the other Mars as the red little faint one. NASA also says that even Neptune might be visible if you have a telescope.
If you've ever wondered about this cosmic firework, what makes up these beauties? Well, according to Jane Houston Jones of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, Meteor showers are just the debris of a passing comet or sometimes the debris from a fragmented asteroid.
When a comet nears the sun, its icy surface heats up. This causes clouds of gas, dirt and dust to be releases, forming a tail of debris that can stretch for millions of miles.
As Earth passes near the dusty tail, some of the dust particles hit our atmosphere. They burn up and create the celestial firworks we see.
NASA monitors these meteor showers to safeguard any launching or orbiting spacecraft.
The best part is You don't need any telescopes or binoculars to view these showers. Infact, these are better seen with naked eyes!
So, go out on your roofs and you won't be disapponted for stayin' up so late!
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