This weekend presents a visual delight for skywatchers. Each year around this time, the world gets to witness one of the best-known meteor showers, the Perseid meteor shower. While it was on August 13 and 14 last year, it would peak during late Sunday night, August 11, this year, into Monday early morning. During this time, there would almost be no moon, making the night sky ideal for spectators.
Reportedly, the first quarter moon will set around 11:20 pm local daytime, a time when the sky is dark. Some of the Perseids are expected to appear in the evening. However, it is best viewed from about 11 pm or midnight until the early light next morning.
What is the Perseid meteor?
The name Perseid is believed to be derived from the Perseus constellation. It peaks during mid-August each year and is considered to be among the best meteor showers. Perseids, usually swift and bright, leave a trail of light and colour behind them as they traverse through the night sky. It is also one of the most plentiful showers with nearly 100 meteors seen per hour. This happens during warm summer night-time weather, offering skywatchers the most comfortable viewing experience.
In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower as a photographer wipes moisture from the camera lenses Friday, August 12, 2016 in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. (Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Perseids are also widely popular for their fireballs or larger explosions of colour and light that occur longer than the usual meteor streaks as they come from larger particles composed of cometary materials. These fireballs are brighter and make for a distinct view
For the uninitiated, meteors are parts of leftover comet particles and pieces from broken asteroids. Comets leave a dusty trail when they are nearing the Sun. Each year, the Earth moves through these trails, allowing some bits to pass through our atmosphere. On crossing our atmosphere, they burn to create colourful streaks in the sky.
In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. (Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The debris that collides with our atmosphere leading to the creation of Perseids come from the Comet called 109/Swift-Tuttle. According to Nasa, this comet takes 133 years to orbit the Sun once. Late Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli is credited with finding the connection between comets and meteor showers. The comet Swift-Tuttle last visited the inner solar system in 1992. The comet, which was discovered in 1862 by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, has a nucleus spanning 26 km in diametre.
Research in 2013, revealed that Perseid meteor shower produces the most number of fireballs in a meteor shower. The below video explains this magical phenomenon based on the research conducted by Nasa’s meteoroid environment program manager, William Cooke.
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How to watch Perseid Meteors?
The Perseid Meteors can be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. To watch this celestial spectacle, one should find a place far away from the city as lights and air pollution may likely obstruct the view. In case you are unable to spot a place, perhaps, you can try an interactive light pollution map using lightpollutionmap.info or darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html.
For those unable to see the Perseid in person, they can head to the YouTube channel below to watch the shower live. Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the channel Virtual Telescope Project offers a live stream of the much-awaited meteor shower.
In India, the Perseid Meteor shower can be seen under similar conditions. To make the most of the stellar event, find a dark spot away from the city to spot the shower.
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