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Meteor spectacle ‘set to dazzle’

Sky-watchers could be in for \"fantastic views\" over the next two days as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.

Federal News Network Staff

August 12, 2010 11:21 am

< a min read

Sky-watchers could be in for “fantastic views” over the next two days as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. According to NASA, the shower could produce a display of up to 80 meteors per hour. Experts are urging people to head away from city lights for the best views, the BBC reports. The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 133 years, the huge comet swings through the inner part of our Solar System and leaves behind a trail of dust and gravel. When Earth passes through the debris, specks hit our atmosphere at 140,000mph and disintegrate in flashes of light.

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