A brilliant Perseid meteor streaked down on August 7, 2010, over buildings at the Stellafane amateur astronomy convention in Springfield, Vermont. Credit: Sky & & Telescope/ Dennis di Cicco The Show Begins Start enjoying for meteors soon after evening twilight ends on the evening of August 12th. By then the showers glowing– its point of view point of origin in the constellation Perseus– has risen above the northeastern horizon. The couple of Perseids that appear this early will be spectacularly long “earthgrazers” that skim along the top of the atmosphere. The greater the glowing, the more meteors youll see– so when Perseus climbs higher in the northeast, specifically after midnight, more meteors will appear all over the sky. The Perseids are a long-lived event, and you need to see meteors– though fewer in number– for a number of nights before and after the night of the peak.
Animation of simulated meteors, revealing how to find the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower, and how those “shooting stars” will appear in the sky. To delight in the Perseids, you require no equipment however your eyes; field glasses and telescopes reveal too little a location of sky to be beneficial for meteor-watching. Bundle up in blankets or a sleeping bag, both for mosquito protecting and for heat; clear nights can grow surprisingly cold, even in August.
Every year in mid-August, Earth passes collides with particles spread along the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Credit: Sky & & Telescope
Meteors in the Sky These “shooting stars” can appear anywhere and everywhere in the sky– you dont need to look towards the radiant to see them. The very best instructions to enjoy is anywhere your sky is darkest, normally directly. Faint Perseids look like tiny, quick streaks. Periodic more vibrant ones may sail throughout the sky for a number of seconds and leave a brief train of radiant smoke.
Trace its path back to its origin when you see a meteor. Youve just witnessed a Perseid if you eventually come to the constellation Perseus (see the accompanying sky chart). Periodically you might spot an interloper. The weaker Delta Aquariid and Kappa Cygnid showers are likewise active throughout Perseid season, and there are always a couple of random, “erratic” meteors too. All of these come from other parts of the sky. Its an enjoyable workout to trace meteors back to their radiants: If the tracks dont lead you to Perseus, they arent Perseids!
Any light pollution or cloudiness will cut down the number of meteors visible. A NASA analysis of all-sky images taken from 2008 to 2013 programs that the Perseids deliver more intense meteors (those that outperform any star) than any other yearly meteor shower.
How and Why Meteors are triggered by small, sandgrain- to pea-size bits of dirty debris striking the top of Earths environment roughly 80 miles (130 km) up. Each Perseid zips in at 37 miles per second (133,000 miles per hour), glowing as it burns to soot and creating a quick, white-hot streak of superheated air. The nuggets in Grape Nuts cereal are a close match to the estimated size, color, and texture of normal meteor-shower particles.
The Perseid bits were shed long ago by Comet Swift-Tuttle and are dispersed all along the comets orbital course around the Sun. Earth passes through this rare “river of debris” every year in mid-August. The comet is so called since it was individually discovered by Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle in July 1862.
The Perseid meteor shower, a popular celestial event, peaks on August 12-13, with ideal watching conditions predicted. The Perseid meteor shower, a celestial occasion eagerly waited for by millions of skywatchers around the world, is about to make its yearly return to the night sky. The higher the glowing, the more meteors youll see– so when Perseus climbs higher in the northeast, particularly after midnight, more meteors will appear all over the sky. Animation of simulated meteors, showing how to locate the glowing of the Perseid meteor shower, and how those “shooting stars” will appear in the sky. A NASA analysis of all-sky images taken from 2008 to 2013 programs that the Perseids deliver more intense meteors (those that outshine any star) than any other yearly meteor shower.
The Perseid meteor shower, a popular celestial occasion, peaks on August 12-13, with ideal viewing conditions forecasted. Skywatchers can delight in the phenomenon without special equipment and are advised to find dark locations for the finest experience. Tips, clinical background, and factors affecting exposure are also checked out in this extensive guide
Its August, which declares among the years most cherished celestial events. The Perseid meteor shower will grace the skies, peaking this weekend on Saturday night to Sunday early morning, August 12-13.
The Perseid meteor shower, a celestial occasion excitedly awaited by millions of skywatchers all over the world, is about to make its annual return to the night sky. The shower is forecasted to reach its peak before dawn on Sunday, August 13th, however viewers should plan to begin searching for meteors currently at nightfall on Saturday, August 12th. In a dark website far from light pollution, at the peak of the shower, observers might see one meteor per minute!
The Perseid meteors appear to stream away from the showers “glowing” point near the border of Perseus and Cassiopeia. Credit: Sky & & Telescope
In addition, the truth that the peak corresponds with a weekend night suggests people can stay up late– or even all night!– without stressing about being late for school or work. “The primary thing that might hamper enjoyment of the spectacle would be clouds or light contamination,” Hannikainen warns.