Perseid Meteor Shower Lights Up August Skies: A Spectacular Celestial Display

Posted on Aug 13, 2024 at 08:08 PM

One of the year's impressive meteor showers happens when Earth collides with debris left over from a comet. The sky appeared brighter since the annual Perseid meteor shower was at its peak yesterday. However, sunlight has no bearing on it.

The Perseid meteor shower began in mid-July and peaked overnight on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13, apparent in the UK. Primarily due to the dusty remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which completes one solar circle every 133 years.

Senior astronomer Dr. Ed Bloomer of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, however, predicted that visibility would not fluctuate dramatically.

The Morning of August 12, Perseids Peaked

On August 12, 2024, at 14 UTC, was when the peak occurred. And August 13 was also a fantastic day. After reaching their zenith, Perseids often decline quickly. However, a few days after the peak, there has been a meteor shower in previous years.

The Perseid meteor shower peaked in 2024, with the moon 50% illuminated and in its first quarter of orbit. It was therefore better to observe for Perseids from midnight to sunrise.

The shower grew gradually and subsided, and as the late night wore on into the early morning, the frequency of Perseid meteors increased.

In the Northern Hemisphere, people looked forward to the August Perseid meteor shower because of its brilliant, continuous, colourful, and long-lasting trains.

Extraordinary Shower Radiation Point

Perseid meteors originate from the constellation Perseus, near the Double Cluster, and are named Perseus the Hero in honour of this constellation, as observed during peak mornings.

Naturally, the Perseus constellation and meteor shower radiant are not related, as meteors in Perseus burn up 60 miles above Earth, while the stars in Perseus are several light-years away.

Every year, people may see the Perseid meteor shower. At a speed of 133,200 miles per hour (214,365 km per hour), up to 100 meteors are predicted to occur per hour.

The Perseids, according to Bill Cooke, chief of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, are the year's richest meteor shower because of the spectacular fireballs. It serves as “the closest thing each year to a celestial fireworks display,” Cooke told reporters.

How to See Perseid Meteors

NASA's Cooke has offered four viewing-optimisation suggestions. To locate the darkest sky free of light pollution, lie flat on your back, gaze up at the sky, and let your eyes adjust for 30 to 45 minutes. Avoid staring at your phone at night as it distorts night vision and diverts attention from the sky, as advised by Cooke.

In 2024, observe Perseids, considering their ephemeral nature, as most strike Earth's atmosphere unseen.

Any Perseid meteor you see can be considered for viewing pleasure.

The remaining meteor showers

The following list of forthcoming meteor showers includes the anticipated peak dates:

• Draconids: October 7–8.
• Orionids: October 21–22.
• Southern Taurids: November 4–5.
• Northern Taurids: November 11–12.
• Leonids: November 17–18.
• Geminids: December 13–14.
• Ursids: December 21–22.



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