Perseid Meteor Shower Poem
Meteor Shower
Brilliant trails of light
Across a darkened sky
Fireworks in slow motion
A cosmic fourth of July
Scattered bursts of rubble
A dandelion in the wind
Extinguished in moments
Flash of light rescinds
Now I make a wish
As clouds obstruct my view
Will I get good fortune
Or only deja vu
Perseid Meteor Shower
The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2,000 years. It is called this because it appears in the sky in the direction of the Perseus constellation. The stream of debris is called the Perseid cloud and stretches along the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it travels on its 133-year orbit.
More info on the Meteor Shower
- Everything you need to know: Perseid meteor shower | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
Any night this weekend - starting on Friday, August 9 - should be fine for watching the Perseid meteor shower. Watch in a dark sky from late night until dawn.
© 2013 Eric Niehoff