A stunning meteor shower will be visible from Mississauga and Brampton tonight

Mississauga and Brampton stargazers should keep an eye on the sky tonight for a special view.

Tonight (August 13) from around midnight until dawn is the predicted peak of the Perseid meteor shower, which is typically at its most visible from early to mid-August, according to EarthSky.

The Perseids are a beloved sight for the Northern Hemisphere due to the strength of the meteor shower. The meteors are colourful and frequently leave persistent trails, making them very visible under regular circumstances.

Under a dark sky with no moon, 90 or more meteors per hour can usually be seen by sky watchers.

Unfortunately, a full moon tonight is expected to brighten up the night sky quite a bit, which will reduce the number of meteors that are visible during this year’s peak.

“The parent comet responsible for the Perseid meteor shower is a rather large comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The comet orbits the sun approximately every 133 years,” EarthSky explains.

“Tonight, the comet is about 35 degrees south of the sun, and 42 times farther away than the sun. It is not visible in any telescope but will be visible in all telescopes, binoculars and to the unaided eye when it returns in the year 2126.”

While the full duration of the meteor shower is from July 14 to September 1, the meteors won’t be quite as visible after tonight’s peak.

So if you don’t want to miss them, be sure to stay up late tonight and watch the sky (or maybe get up super early before the sun starts to rise).