{"609599":{"#nid":"609599","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How to Watch This Weekend\u0027s Perseid Meteor Shower ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis weekend is the peak time of the Perseid meteor shower and Georgia Tech astronomy expert Jim Sowell has some recommendations of how you can make the most of the celestial show.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, some background.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAround late July and early August each year, the Swift-Tuttle comet puts on a dazzling show. Tiny bits of debris the size of peas hit Earth\u0026rsquo;s atmosphere at a staggering 132,000 miles per hour. They reach super-hot temperatures as the streak across the sky. There is a good chance you may have already seen a few streaks across the sky.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESowell, the director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s observatory, says the average will be one every three to five minutes.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the peak hours this Sunday night and into the early morning of August 13\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C\/sup\u003E, you may be able to see up to 60 meteors an hour.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENature is helping out a bit this weekend. Because we\u0026rsquo;re starting a new phase, the moon will not be out to brighten the skies. That means the night will be extra dark. Perfect conditions for meteor spotting.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0026rsquo;re in Atlanta or near a city, you may need to relocate for optimal viewing. Reducing the number of lights and trees around you will make the meteor shower more visible.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Find an open field and lie back,\u0026rdquo; Sowell says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENo Telescope? No problem. Sowell says it won\u0026rsquo;t be necessary to see the blazes across the night sky.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there\u0026rsquo;s one thing you can\u0026rsquo;t control: the weather. Clouds and rain could cause a hiccup if you\u0026#39;re planning on stargazing. Thankfully, the forecast around the Atlanta metro area is looking pretty clear.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best time for viewing might mean you\u0026rsquo;ll have to adjust your schedule a bit.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;3:00 a.m. to twilight,\u0026rdquo; Sowell says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe recommends bug spray and light blanket or a cot for full enjoyment.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis weekend is the peak time of the Perseid meteor shower and Georgia Tech astronomy expert Jim Sowell has some recommendations of how you can make the most of the celestial show.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech astronomer has expert advice on how to enjoy this celestial fireworks show."}],"uid":"28058","created_gmt":"2018-08-10 20:34:20","changed_gmt":"2018-08-13 00:18:51","author":"Steven Norris","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"609600":{"id":"609600","type":"image","title":"How to Watch This Weekend\u0027s Perseid Meteor Shower","body":null,"created":"1533933333","gmt_created":"2018-08-10 20:35:33","changed":"1533933738","gmt_changed":"2018-08-10 20:42:18","alt":"Perseid meteor shower sends streaks across the night sky","file":{"fid":"232175","name":"GettyImages-678610108.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-678610108.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GettyImages-678610108.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1158937,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GettyImages-678610108.jpg?itok=SxTcQvwg"}}},"media_ids":["609600"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.astronomy.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Observatory "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"246","name":"Georgia Institute of Technology"},{"id":"4188","name":"astronomy"},{"id":"167146","name":"space"},{"id":"61531","name":"Meteor"},{"id":"178710","name":"perseid meteor shower"},{"id":"8311","name":"outer space"},{"id":"2069","name":"CoMet"},{"id":"3104","name":"celestial"},{"id":"4254","name":"observatory"},{"id":"142831","name":"jim sowell"},{"id":"173922","name":"astronomer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESteven Norris\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["socialmedia@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}