Perseid meteor shower time-lapse picture.
Often bringing one of the most vivid yearly meteor showers visible in Earths night sky, the Perseids will peak on August 12 and 13. Normally, it provides 50-100 “shooting stars” per hour at its height, putting on an impressive show. Theres simply one issue this year: the moon.
” Sadly, this years Perseids peak will see the worst possible scenarios for spotters,” stated NASA astronomer Bill Cooke, who leads the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Most of us in North America would generally see 50 or 60 meteors per hour,” he stated, “but this year, throughout the regular peak, the moon will reduce that to 10-20 per hour at finest.”
Because the Moon is so much brighter than anything else in the night sky, it will clean out all however the really brightest Perseids as they streak through our environment and burn up far overhead.
Typically bringing one of the most brilliant yearly meteor showers noticeable in Earths night sky, the Perseids will peak on August 12 and 13. The comet itself wasnt determined till 1862, but the meteor shower was seen over medieval Europe. Since you never understand– you may simply capture one of the brilliant Perseid meteors that defies the glare of the Moon. The outlook for the Perseid meteors isnt great due to a full moon on the peak night of August 12, but still its worth keeping an eye out for early Perseids after midnight the week before.
A shower of Perseid meteors lights up the sky in 2009 in this NASA time-lapse image. Credit: NASA/JPL
As the moon subsides, the Perseids will start to compromise around August 21-22 and cease totally by September 1. Theyre the debris remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle, a lumbering “snowball” composed of ice, rock, and dust, which orbits our Sun every 133 years. The comet itself was last noticeable to us in 1992 and will not pass our method once again for over 100 years: not until 2125.
How far back sightings of the Perseids really go stays a matter of some dispute, Cooke said. The comet itself wasnt identified till 1862, but the meteor shower was seen over medieval Europe. The annual event happened referred to as “the Tears of St. Lawrence,” called for the last of seven Roman church deacons martyred by the emperor Valerian in August of the year 258.
While this is probably not the best year to make a special journey in order to see the Perseids, if you find yourself outside in between midnight and dawn on August 13, do not forget to look up anyhow. Since you never know– you might just catch one of the intense Perseid meteors that defies the glare of the Moon. Be mindful that the periodic early Perseid can streak throughout the sky as much as a week beforehand.
If you wish to know what else remains in the sky for August 2022, inspect out the current “Whats Up” video from Jet Propulsion Laboratory:
What are some skywatching highlights in August 2022? The everyday parade of four naked-eye planets in the mornings concerns an end this month. But there are still lots of terrific highlights, specifically if you have access to binoculars. Plus, Saturn and Jupiter are going back to nighttime skies! The outlook for the Perseid meteors isnt excellent due to a full moon on the peak night of August 12, however still its worth watching out for early Perseids after midnight the week in the past. And August is a great month to discover an easy-to-spot constellation– Cygnus the swan.