Prince George, B.C.- The Perseids meteor shower  is supposed to  put on its peak performance tonight, but  it may be short lived because of the  Supermoon.

Prince George Royal Astronomical Society President Blair Stunder says that bright  moon will make  the show short  “The moon rise is about 11:30  tonight,  so, it will be pretty bright by 1:00 a.m. and the meteor shower will be  pretty much a wash by then.”

The meteor shower is the result of  the Swift-Tuttle comet, which has an orbital period of  133.28 years.

Stunder says as the comet approached  Earth, it  warmed from its  typical -270 Celsius to as warm as   -200 Celsius.  That allowed some gases to  escape, pushing off  particles and dust, creating the Perseid meteor shower.

The comet itself was last seen  in 1992, and will be  visible again in July of 2126.

“We are travelling through the Perseids right now” says Sunder, “but the daylight makes it impossible to see the meteor showers.”

While you  should be able to see  the  celestial show anywhere  there is  reduced light pollution, the observatory  will be open this evening at 9 to welcome those who would like to witness the Perseids meteor shower.  Stunder advises you bring along a comfortable lawn chair (one that reclines would be perfect) that you dress from the cooler overnight temperatures, bring along a blanket (just in case) and some water and snacks.

The observatory  is located on Tedford Road,   off the Blackwater Road.