/ Modified nov 29, 2016 3:59 p.m.

Two Meteor Showers Will Dazzle in Arizona's August Sky

Overlapping showers mean lots of visible shooting stars.

Perseids, Meteor Shower spot The Perseids meteor shower provides a spectacular show in the night sky.

By Melissa Sevigny, Arizona Science Desk

August is the month of meteors with two showers at the same time.

The Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks tonight in the southern sky with about 20 shooting stars an hour.

In weeks to come, it will blend with the much more dazzling Perseids.

Between midnight and dawn will be the best time for Arizonans to watch the events.

When they combine, astronomers expect 100 or 200 shooting stars an hour, double the usual number. That’s because Jupiter is lined up just right to nudge Perseid meteors toward Earth.

They’ll radiate out of the northeast and peak on August 12th.

Kitt Peak National Observatory is holding a meteor event Friday night.

Arizona Science Desk
This story is from the Arizona Science Desk, a collaborative of the state's public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Arizona Science Desk.
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