MIAMI VALLEY — Are you curious about what’s happening beyond our atmosphere?
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It’s incredible, really. Starting tonight and running through the end of the month, there are a handful of astronomical events you can catch sight of.
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The Perseid meteor shower hits its peak tonight, August 12-13, bringing with it a torrent of shooting stars along with the potential for spectacular fireball sightings.
The shower coincides with the rise of a waning gibbous moon, the glare from which will make it a challenge to spot all but the brightest of meteors.
The best time to spot Perseids will be in the predawn hours of Aug. 13, when up to 100 shooting stars per hour can be visible. You can start after 10 p.m. in areas with little light pollution.
Very early on Tuesday morning, Aug. 12, also brings the Jupiter and Venus conjunction.
The two planets will be less than a degree apart — approximately the length of your pinkie when held up to the sky at arm’s length. Because they’ll appear close together, you’ll be able to view both simultaneously through your backyard telescope.
And last, but DEFINITELY not least: now through the 31st will be the Grand Planetary Alignment.
A rare celestial event where Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn will align in the sky in a beautiful planetary lineup. Look toward the eastern horizon just before sunrise. Find a dark-sky location, away from city lights, for the clearest view.
Rain chances are limited with the next cold front that is forecast to move toward the Miami Valley over the next 24 hours.
It begins to stall and leaves us with scattered rain and storm chances, mainly on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
The increased cloud cover and bright moon bring us some difficulty, but it’s worth heading out and staying up an extra hour past bedtime to see the beauty of our solar system.
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