The Perseid meteor shower can produce the most shooting stars in the night sky, making it often the most stunning of the year.
Summertime skywatching at its finest This weekend will see the climax of the annual Perseid meteor shower, and according to experts, the show is not one to be missed.
The Perseid meteor shower can produce the most shooting stars in the night sky, making it often the most stunning of the year. Because there won’t be a brilliant moon to ruin the show, this year’s peak might be even more spectacular, according to Diana Hannikainen, an editor at the monthly journal Sky & Telescope about science and amateur astronomy.
The Perseid meteor shower peaks every year on Saturday night into Sunday morning and lasts from about mid-July until late August. Hannikainen estimated that, weather allowing, skygazers may observe 60 meteors per hour on average, and up to 90 meteors per hour in a few of the darkest regions.
The Perseids are one of the better meteor showers because, if you’re in a decent dark area, they are so abundant, she said.
Going outside in the early morning is the finest time to see the Perseids in the Northern Hemisphere. The greatest conditions for viewing meteor showers, according to Hannikainen, are clear, black sky free of light pollution such as city lights and other sources that can obliterate the shooting stars.
The next step for skywatchers is to prepare for comfort.
She said, “Grab that lawn chair and relax.” Your eyes will need 20 to 30 minutes to acclimate to the darkness. The meteors will then truly appear to fall from the sky.
However, the Perseids are so named because they appear to stream from a location in the sky where the constellation of Perseus is located. Meteors should be seen all around the sky in clear conditions.
The majority of the meteors will appear to be coming from Perseus because it arises in the northeast in the evening, according to Hannikainen. However, there should still be many meteors visible if you stare directly up.
According to Sky & Telescope, faint meteors may seem as flecks that dart quickly through the night sky, but brighter ones may flash through for several seconds, occasionally even leaving a visible, luminous trail.
She continued by saying that observing meteor showers is enjoyable for individuals of all ages, especially since no special equipment is needed.
It’s among the simplest celestial phenomena to see, she said. The greatest way to experience a meteor shower is with your eyes, not binoculars or a telescope.
Because it takes place when the majority of the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying pleasant, late-summer temperatures overnight, the Perseid meteor shower is well-liked among amateur astronomers. The fact that the peak falls on a weekend makes this year’s event particularly well-timed.
Although meteors are frequently referred to as “shooting stars,” they actually originate from tiny pieces of space debris that burn up in the atmosphere of Earth.
Every year, as Earth travels through a cloud of dust and debris from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862, the Perseid meteor shower takes place.