The Sky Is Falling This Weekend: Perseid Meteor Shower

Go outside before dawn this weekend, and if it is clear enough you will be able to see the sky falling.

Every year around mid-August, the Earth passes through the orbit of a comet called Swift-Tuttle, and the result is a meteor shower as debris from the comet enters the earth's atmosphere and burns up.

Viewing may not be optimum this year as a full moon will brighten the sky on Friday night and Saturday morning.

"The best time to look is during the hours before dawn especially on Saturday morning, August 13th," writes Tony Phillips, an astronomer who manages the Science News page at NASA's website. "The full Moon will be relatively low, and the meteor rate should be peaking at that time."

Generally, the best way to see shooting stars is to find a dark place with no street lights and as few trees as possible. The streaks could appear anywhere in the sky, though they'll come from the constellation Perseus, in the northeastern sky, after midnight, or just before sunrise.

(from ABC News)