Hoping to catch the Perseid meteor shower in the GTA? What to know for your best chance
The annual phenomenon is something the former astronomy educator looks forward to. But this year, due to the bright moon, she's not banking on a great view.
"Always when something interferes with something you want to observe, it's a sense of disappointment," she said.
The Perseid meteor shower typically takes place once a year when the Earth plows through the debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, sending it into our atmosphere. This year, the shower peaks overnight on Aug. 12-13 and is expected to produce as many as 100 meteors per hour.
The best conditions to see the shower are dark skies, clear of clouds and smoke.
But this year, lower your expectations, say experts like Elaina Hyde, an astronomy professor and director of the Allan I Carswell Observatory at York University.
A full moon, smoke and clouds
One reason: We just had the sturgeon full moon.
"The brighter the moon is, the harder it is to see things next to the moon," Hyde said.
"If you're in a really, really dark sky [and] you've got this bright moon, the very faintest meteors will be harder to see."
And for residents in areas north of the Greater Toronto Area where wildfires are burning, like the Kawartha Lakes region, local smoke might make it even harder to see the shower.
"When those little tiny specks of dust come into the Earth's atmosphere and they make their little streak, it might be behind the smoke cloud and you're just not going to be able to see it," Hyde said.
"It really is literally a smoke screen that comes up and depending on the thickness of the smoke, that will limit how many meteors you're going to be able to see."
For those in Toronto and elsewhere in southern Ontario, it'll be the clouds that affect the view, according to Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"We've got a cold front that's coming through [Tuesday] evening, [Tuesday] night," he said. "So with that, there is a chance for some showers and thunderstorms."
Luke says smoke won't interfere with the visibility for those in the GTA, but it could if stargazers are viewing in dark sky preserves, such as Algonquin Park, or in zones where fires might be burning nearby.
Where and how to watch
Most meteor showers get their name from the constellation from which the meteors seem to originate, called the radiant. In this case the radiant is the constellation Perseus.
"If you're looking in the sky, if you're a stargazer, all you have to do is get your little constellation or star map out and find the constellation of Perseus," she said. "Then look in that direction and look for shooting stars ... and they'll streak out obviously across the sky."
For those in the GTA eager to get the best views, Luke says head east.
"Down towards Kingston and even Brockville … they might be the best place in terms of being away from smoke and hopefully clear later into the evening, before they get into the rain and clouds," he said.
Hyde warns avid watchers wanting to get out of the city to check the Ontario Forest Fire Map before heading out to ensure you aren't travelling into restricted zones. She also encourages people to check the smoke and cloud conditions online before travelling out.
"Sometimes, going to your own local park and just finding a corner that does not have any street lamps in it might be your best option," she said. "Obviously a dark sky preserve with no fire, no smoke at all is the best option."
Despite the bright moon and possible clouds, McWatters says she's not losing all hope and she encourages others not to either.
"It might not be as bright as you've seen it in the past … but if you can see stars, you'll be able to see meteors, so look carefully," she said.
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