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There are all kinds of cool things to see in the sky during the summer, including the Summer Triangle, the full moon, constellations, and occasional weather phenomena. Planet parade. Arguably the crown jewel of summer stargazing are the Perseid meteors, one of the largest meteor showers of the year, and coming soon.
The Perseid rain begins on July 17 and continues until August 24. During that period, you can expect to see the occasional shooting star if you look up long enough. The meteor shower is expected to peak on the evenings of August 12-13, and that’s when the real fun happens. according to NASAThis meteor shower can generate up to 50 to 100 meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions, which is more than any other meteor shower during this part of the year by a mile.
This large number of meteorites and the fact that the Perseids occur during the warmth of summer, when it is easier to spend time outdoors, is what makes this a great viewing opportunity.
Perseid meteorites come to Earth thanks to… 109P/Comet Swift-TuttleIt is quite large, 16 miles wide. NASA says this is twice the size of the existing asteroid Supposedly he killed the dinosaurs. The comet leaves a healthy trail of debris in its wake. The Earth moves through this debris path every year, and the debris flying through the Earth’s atmosphere is the Perseid meteor shower.
The Perseids will have some of the best meteorites
One of the distinctive features of Perseid meteors is that their meteors tend to be bright and have long paths. According to Doug Welch, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at McMaster University, most meteor showers contain unique meteors based on a variety of factors. This includes the amount of matter, the type of matter, and the angle relative to Earth’s motion through space.
“It is true that different meteor showers produce different distinct meteors,” Welsh told CNET in an email. “This largely has to do with how long the generated object (Comet Swift-Tuttle in this case) has been in the inner solar system and what the relative velocity of matter is along the comet’s orbit and the Earth’s motion.”
Welch says there is a maximum speed at which cometary material can reach Earth, and the Perseid shower is at the higher end of the spectrum.
The Perseids have all the right materials for bright, long-tailed meteorites, although Welch points out that the light we see here on Earth is actually superheated air as the meteorite flies through the atmosphere and not actually the meteorite itself.
The new moon will arrive August 12-13, which means there will be no lunar light pollution to deal with.
It should be nice to see the Perseids this year
This year should bring some of the best viewing conditions since 2018. Last year’s Perseids were obstructed by Almost full moon During peak nights. Even if you drive away from built-up areas to avoid light pollution, the bright moonlight still washes out many of the smaller, fainter meteors.
This year the Perseids will not have this problem. Darkness August new moon It is on the calendar for August 12, the first night of the Perseids peak. This is great news for stargazers hoping to get a good view. The last time the new moon and the Perseids occurred at the same time was August 11, 2018.
Whatever the moon phase, one of the biggest tips for seeing meteor showers for best results is to stay away from the city and suburbs. This reduces the brightness of the surrounding sky, making meteors easier to spot.
The constellation Perseus begins the night on the northern horizon before rising to the eastern sky.
How do you see the Perseids?
All meteor showers are named after their radiant, which is the point from which meteors appear in the sky. The name Perseids comes from the constellation Perseus. Look for the constellation Perseus, which is where the Perseid meteors come from.
Perseus begins on the night of August 12-13 on the northern horizon. It rises into the northeastern sky after midnight and ascends into the eastern sky around 3:00 a.m. ET. It will continue to rise in the eastern sky until sunrise. If you’re having trouble finding it, Stellarium has a free mobile app Android and iOSand A Free website You can use them to help you find it.
Perseus is visible throughout the night on both nights, but becomes clearer and higher in the sky as the night goes on. The best time to view it is in the morning before sunrise when Perseus is highest in the night sky.
Not soon after sunset is the best time because Perseus is still at or below the horizon. “It’s not a good source of meteorites for those who want to sleep early,” Welch said. “The longest meteorite trails will be seen as Perseus rises into the sky.”
It’s pretty easy from there. Once you find Perseus, sit facing this direction and watch the sky. Since the Perseids are one of the busiest meteor showers of the year, it won’t be hard to see the meteors once they take off.
You’ll want to get away from the city. All of these lights make seeing meteors more difficult, if not impossible, even during very active showers like the Perseids.
Tips and tricks for watching Perseids
The great thing about observing the sky is that it’s basically the same rules no matter what you want to see. As mentioned, the first thing you need to do is get away from the city and suburbs. Light pollution from brightly lit urban areas has a big impact on the number of meteors you are likely to see.
According to NASA, Light pollution It means someone in a suburb could see a reduction in the number of viewable meteors of about 75%, and in a large city, more than 95%. That is, if someone in the countryside sees 100 meteors, a suburbanite may see only about 25, and a city dweller will see fewer than five.
“City dwellers might see a Perseid or two in an hour. That’s not very inspiring,” NASA’s Bill Cook wrote. “Maybe the only good news is that if someone in the city sees the Perseids, it should be really bright and spectacular.”
Welch echoed this view, saying that the hourly rate of meteors (the hypothetical number of meteors per hour) only occurs under ideal conditions.
“To be honest, the average observer under suburban conditions wouldn’t see more than a dozen meteors per hour,” Welch said. “So, what people call meteor showers are more akin to rain shower leaks.”
Other than looking for the darkest possible sky you can drive to, there are some other tips and tricks that can help make the night even better.
Get to your viewing destination a little early to give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, and bring low-power flashlights to find your way around so your night vision isn’t ruined. It shouldn’t be as hot as it was in the eastern United States During the heat dome It’s late June and early July, but still, it’s summer, so bring plenty of fluids, wear comfortable clothes, and sit on it.
Meteor showers are a waiting game, and even at 100 meteors per hour, that averages out to about three or so meteors every two minutes. Also, get rid of magnification devices such as telescopes and binoculars. They obstruct your view of the entire sky and may cause you not to see meteors.
