The annual Perseid meteor bathe peaks in a single day Sunday and into the predawn hours Monday, giving skywatchers around the globe an opportunity to take pleasure in among the best taking pictures star shows of the 12 months.
The Perseids are normally some of the anticipated skywatching occasions of the 12 months as a result of the bathe tends to ship a excessive fee of taking pictures stars. Climate allowing, stargazers may see as many as 100 per hour from darkish areas.
“Not solely is the bathe wealthy in brilliant meteors and fireballs — No. 1 in reality — it additionally peaks in mid-August when the climate continues to be heat and cozy,” Invoice Cooke, who leads the Meteoroid Atmosphere Workplace at NASA’s Marshall Area Flight Middle in Alabama, mentioned in a NASA weblog publish.
Specialists are predicting favorable situations for this 12 months’s present, notably as a result of the moon will set by round 11:30 p.m. native time, which suggests the taking pictures stars won’t be washed out by brilliant moonlight.
If situations are clear, it is best to choose an unobstructed viewing location below the darkest potential skies, away from metropolis lights and different types of mild air pollution.
Within the Northern Hemisphere, stargazers ought to head out between midnight and daybreak. NASA recommends letting the eyes alter to the darkish for about 45 minutes and avoiding taking a look at cellphones or different brilliant screens.
Whereas the meteor bathe’s peak will probably produce the best fee of taking pictures stars, Perseid meteors have been seen for weeks — and can proceed to be seen after this weekend. The bathe occurs yearly from round mid-July to late August.
It happens when Earth passes by a cloud of mud particles and particles left over from a comet generally known as 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which was found in 1862. The streaks of sunshine are created because the items hit the environment and vaporize, abandoning brilliant trails as they disintegrate.