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2006: Poor Year for the Perseids

Montreal, August 7, 2006

Many people eagerly await these famous shooting stars every August. This year, the Perseids will reach their peak on August 12, at 7 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. This means that in eastern North America, the best nights for viewing them will be August 11 to 12 and August 12 to 13. The Perseids are most active between 11 p.m. and dawn.

Unfortunately, this year's viewing conditions won't make for a very spectacular show. The Moon will be almost full and will remain in the sky all night long, flooding the sky with light and drowning out the dimmer shooting stars. Only a few very bright meteors will be visible through this luminous veil.

Better luck in 2007 … when the new Moon won't get in the way!

Source : Montreal Planetarium

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Happy stargazing!

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