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Saskatchewan residents look up as Perseid meteor shower set to peak next week

Residents of this part of the province should keep their eyes upward next week as a meteor shower is expected.
drtownsky
The skies are set to grab attention in this part of the province. Photo by Derek Ruttle.

OUTLOOK - For those who may be fans of watching the night skies, they'll want to earmark a certain date of next week on their calendar.

The skies above will be the stage for what's known as the Perseid Meteor shower.

It began in mid-July, but it'll continue straight through to August 21, and if you break out the cameras and telescopes, you'll actually be able to see meteors across the night sky, with things peaking on the evening of August 12.

This skyward phenomenon is all courtesy of the comet known as Swift-Tuttle, a comet that is close to the size of the meteor that actually wiped out the dinosaurs from the face of the planet millions of years ago.

The best way to see any of this outside show is to wait for a clear night and heading somewhere with extremely limited light interference, as well as having a patient outlook.

It's been some time since the Swift-Tuttle was closest to the sun, dating back to 1992. It's believed this same thing won’t happen again until the year 2126.

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