As long as the skies over Connecticut stay clear, the Perseids meteor shower — the one skywatchers wait for all year — should put on a strong show during its Aug. 12-13 peak.
The timing is about as good as it gets. A new moon means the sky will be especially dark for anyone who can get away from city lights. Under dark skies, skywatchers could see around 100 meteors or more an hour.
The weather could cooperate for at least part of the Perseids' peak in Connecticut.
Tuesday is expected to be partly cloudy, while Wednesday should bring generally clearer skies during the day and evening. Clouds may increase later Wednesday night into early Thursday, with the possibility of showers developing during the overnight hours.
That means skywatchers may have their best chance to catch the meteor shower Wednesday evening before cloud cover potentially increases overnight.
Conditions can change, however, so anyone planning to watch the Perseids should check their local forecast before heading outside.
The Perseids are known for bright meteors, occasional fireballs and lingering trains, the glowing streaks that can hang in the sky for a moment after the meteor disappears.
The Perseids occur when Earth passes through trails of dust and debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The meteors can appear anywhere overhead, but their paths trace back to a radiant point in the constellation Perseus, which is how the shower got its name.
Skywatchers may also catch a few stray meteors from the Delta Aquariids, which peaked at the end of July but continue through Aug. 21.
Earlier Wednesday, Aug. 12, a partial solar eclipse will be visible across a broad swath of the country, stretching from Alaska into parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
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