Every year , between July and August , Earth hurtles through rubble left behind in the wake ofcomet 109P / Swift - Tuttle , gifting us with the most fighting meteor rain shower in the Northern Hemisphere . This hebdomad , we ’re plow through the densest part of the comet ’s stream , meaning we ’re at extremum shooting stars – and 2021 is a peculiarly good year thanks to the New Moon .
Meteors are screw as fool away stars due to flashes of light due to the objet d’art of dust and rock – some as small as a food grain of sand – sting up in the ambience as Earth moves through the comet ’s tail .
On any given nighttime , stargazer can carry to see around two meteors an time of day . The Perseids ( Per - see - id ) last from around July 16 to August 23 , so your chances of get one shooting across the sky is high , but during its apex – this year August 11 - 13 – you could see an incredible 60 - 100 meteor per hour .
Meteor showers are named for the configuration they seem to appear from , in this font , the constellation Perseus . In reality , they appear from all directions in the sky so you do n’t need to look in any particular direction – just up .
You also need a good disconsolate sky with no vivid Moon acquire in the direction . Luckily , August ’s New Moon was on August 8 , which intend it wo n’t be step in with the exhibitor and the skies should still be moody and clear by midweek . If you want , you could check out what time Moonrise is in your areahere .
The Perseids often leave lasting trains and typically increase in numbers as the dark goes on , with the most meteors visible in the hours before break of day . You do n’t need any special equipment to view the shower . In fact , a telescope is the last thing you require as you do n’t want to focalise on just one part of the sky . As with any meteor cascade , the further you are from bright lights , the better . You should let your eyes mature habitual to the colored , around 15 minutes should do it . We also recommended lawn chairs and blankets ; get comfy , we should be In for a effective show .
As a failsafe , you could always watch along withNASA ’s live streamof the cascade from its Marshall Flight Center in Alabama , pop on August 11 .
If you ’re curious about the Perseids and want to know about their impact on our culture ( and how they are connected with a slaying ) , check out the video recording below .
