44 ASTRONOMY • AUGUST 2020
PERSEIDS
Don’t miss the
This annual meteor
shower will put on a
great show in 2020.
BY MICHAEL E. BAKICH
THIS MONTH, THE PERSEID METEOR
shower once again dominates the astronomical
news. Not only is it always one of the year’s
richest displays, but it also occurs during the
summer, so many people who are not usually
amateur astronomers will head outside to
watch at least some of it.
Because the targets are
fast-moving bright streaks
against a dark sky, viewers
won’t need a telescope or any
other astronomical equip-
ment. In fact, a telescope nar-
rows the field of view so
much that the chances are
slim that an observer would
see a meteor through one.That said, binoculars, which
have a slightly larger field of
view, will make any smoke
trails left by bright meteors
easier to see, so they can be
followed for a longer time.
In 2020, the Perseids
peak August 11/12 — from
Tuesday night (the 11th) into
Wednesday morning (the