Considered to be “the best meteor shower of the year” by NASA, the spectacular Perseid meteor shower is set to fill our skies again this week.
Despite coinciding with a full moon, stargazers will hopefully be able to see the annual Perseids in the sky as the celestial phenomenon reaches its peak on Tuesday.
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What is the Perseid meteor shower and why does it happen?
Meteors are created from leftover comet particles and parts of broken asteroids. The Perseids have been visible for many centuries and is the result of Earth passing through a cloud of dust left by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. As comets approach the Sun, they heat up, which causes their ice to turn to gas, which forms a glowing head and a tail of gas and dust in its wake.
Every year, Earth passes through these trails of debris, which means the particles enter the atmosphere and burn up as meteors.
The meteors are tiny – no bigger than a grain of sand – but burn brightly as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere (at 36 miles per second) and produce bright trails of light.
The Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers, bringing up to 100 meteors per hour at its peak. They are also known for their fireballs – larger and longer explosions of light and colour than the average meteor streak.
Why are they called the Perseids?
The Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to originate.
When to see the Perseid meteor shower
The Perseids peak in mid-August each year. This year, the peak falls on 12-13 August. This year’s shower coincides with a full moon (the Sturgeon Moon), which means it’ll be more difficult to see the complete meteor shower. But it should definitely still be possible to see the odd fireball.
Darker skies between 16-26 August might offer more opportunities to see the shower, although meteor activity will be lower.
How to see the Perseid meteor shower
The Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours – but it’s sometimes possible to see them as early as 10pm if you’re lucky.
Top tips for seeing the Perseid meteor shower
- Head to areas without light pollution and without buildings or trees blocking your view. Uninterrupted views always work best.
- Lie on your back and look up at the sky, as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky (and you won’t hurt your neck by craning it).
- Be patient – it will take your eyes a while to adjust to the dark, particularly under the challenging conditions created by the full moon. Take your time, and don’t expect to see the meteor shower immediately.
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Top image: Perseid meteor shower in dark sky area Beskydy, Czech Republic (credit: Getty Images)
