Star-gazers are in for a treat as the annual Perseid Meteor shower will be lighting up the skies from August 11 to 13 this year. It will peak on August 12. According to a report published in CNET, this show occurs around this time each year since the Earth drifts through a debris cloud left behind by the giant comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
What is Perseid meteors?
Perseid meteors get its name from the point at which they appear to hail in the constellation Perseus of the northern sky. The meteor shower is said to be the leftover debris of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. It is an annual event when the Earth passes through the path of the large comet between July 17 to August 24 with the comet particles passing through the atmosphere at a velocity of 1,30,000 miles per hour or 37 miles (59 km) per second.
Popular among skygazers
This is also one of the most popular showers. The reason for popularity includes that it is one of the strongest showers with up to 100 visible meteors per hour on average and the fact that it coincides with warm summer nights in the northern hemisphere.
How to watch?
You can watch the Perseid meteor shower through naked eyes from a dark place. But only if the sky is clear.
Will it be visible in India?
The Perseid meteor shower will be clearly visible in the Northern Hemisphere but to only those who watch it from dark places away from city’s lights.
Skygazers in India can also watch it only if the weather is clear. Although it will be visible between August 11 to 13, Nasa said that the meteors and their trails will be visible for another 10 days between midnight and dawn. It said that the best time to watch is pre-dawn hours on August 12.
According to Earthsky.org, everyone throughout the world can watch Perseid meteor shower.
How to watch online?
You can watch it live through this link shared by Nasa:
You can also catch live stream on Nasa’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/
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