Meteor-catchers heading out to watch the
annual Perseid meteor shower this week are in for a special treat. In between watching the show on the north side of the sky, several planets and the moon will show themselves on the southern side.
The Perseids will peak in the early morning hours of Friday (Aug. 12),
NASA says, and the show could be even stronger this year. The planet Jupiter has bent the streams of cometary particles, putting more of them in Earth's path.
Some of the meteors, which on Thursday night and early Friday (Aug. 11-12) may stream in at up to 200 per hour, will unfortunately be washed out by the moon until it sets at around 1 a.m. local time. But you can still easily see two planets in the sky, in the constellation Scorpius. Mars is just to the right of the
ruddy star Antares. (The name of the star means "rival of Mars" because it is so similar in brightness and shade.) And floating above Antares is Saturn. [
Perseid Meteor Shower 2016: When & How to See It]
Mars, Saturn and the moon will shine alongside the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 11 and 12, 2016.
See where the trio will be in this NASA sky map. --
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This Sky & Telescope magazine sky map shows another view of the Perseid meteor
shower radiant for 2016 where it will be located at 11 p.m. your local time on
Aug. 11 and 12 during the shower's peak. --
Credit: Sky & Telescope illustration