Weekend Meteor Watch

On Saturday morning, September 1st, a flurry of bright and colorful meteors might come streaming out of the constellation Auriga.

The source of the shower is ancient Comet Kiess, which has laid down a trail of debris that Earth will cross this weekend.

But will a shower really materialize?  Forecasters are divided. Some expect a brief but beautiful display rivaling the Perseids. Others say the debris stream is too empty for significant fireworks.

Either way, the peak is due around 4:30 a.m. PDT (11:30 UT) on Saturday morning. This timing strongly favors sky watchers in Hawaii and western parts of North America all the way from Mexico to California to Alaska.

Spaceweather's full coverage of the Aurigid meteor shower begins Friday, August 31, with links to live audio from a meteor radar, which will monitor activity throughout the weekend.

Sky maps and more information are available now at http://spaceweather.com.