Get Ready for the Year’s Most Breathtaking Meteor Showers, Reaching their Peak Next Month

Earth’s skies have witnessed the start of the Perseid meteor showers, which can be seen with the naked eye in clear skies and away from light pollution, over the next six weeks.

The annual Perseid meteor shower occurs every year from July 17 to August 24 and is one of the most important events of the astronomical year for astronomers.

Although these showers usually peak in August, this year’s meteor shower will peak on August 13th. However, his performances can be watched from today until next month.

The Perseid meteor showers are generated annually by comet Swift-Tuttle when the Earth passes through the path of debris left by the comet during its revolution around the Sun, once every 133 years.

This comet last approached Earth in 1992 and won’t return until 2125. However, the trail of debris it leaves behind is the cause of the annual Perseid meteor shower.

The comet’s debris path is made up of small pieces of ice and rock, and as the Earth passes through it, these pieces burn up in the atmosphere, resulting in meteor showers.

The Perseids are known to be bright and fast moving meteors. They can often be seen flying through the sky at speeds up to 60 miles per second. These meteors can be observed at a speed of 1-2 meteors per minute, and in the best cases – at a speed of 90-100 meteors per hour and with an average speed of 12 to 72 km per second.

This year will be a good year for observing the Perseid meteor showers, as the Moon will be a waning crescent, so it will not be so bright that it does not interfere with watching the celestial spectacle.

The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is after midnight, when the radiance (the point in the sky from which meteors emerge) is high in the sky.

Source: Metro