Perseids fill the summer night sky

If you’re interested in stargazing and astronomical events, then you’re in luck. From the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 11, through the morning of Thursday, Aug. 13, are the prime nights to watch an annual meteor shower known as the Perseids. The most illuminated point for this meteor shower is in the hours right before dawn, however any time in the night sky out of direct line of the moon offers a pleasant view.

You may need to leave Mississippi — or go online — to see the event, though, as partly cloudy skies are in the forecast.

The Perseids tend to be very bright, ranging anywhere from 40 to 50 meteors per hour. According to ancient Greek skylore, the Perseids shower commemorates the visit of Zeus to the maiden Danaë through a shower of gold. As a result of the visit, Perseus the Hero was born and the Perseid meteors radiate from his constellation.