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A stunning meteor shower called the Perseids will be visible to the naked eye when it peaks on Thursday next week.
Known as the “Tears of Fire of St. Lawrence,” the celestial event takes place as Earth passes through galactic debris left behind by the passage of Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Shooting stars will be visible both north and south of the equator, although those in the northern mid-latitudes will benefit from the best views.
For those in areas with low light pollution, smog, and clear skies, the Perseids will be visible to the naked eye, with no specialized equipment required.
The peak of the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to occur on the night of August 12 through the early hours of August 13, when the sky is darkest.
The meteor shower is often dubbed the best of the year due to its brightness and activity, with up to 40 meteors per hour expected this year.
“If you are in the northern hemisphere and away from light pollution, you might see more than 40 Perseids per hour,” says NASA.
“If you’re in a city, you might only see a few every hour; sky-watchers in the southern hemisphere will also see fewer Perseids, with none visible below about 30 degrees south latitude.
Meteors are called Perseids because they appear to come out of the constellation Perseus and can be seen with the naked eye anywhere in the world.
The Perseids (pictured), which peak in mid-August, are considered the best meteor shower of the year. The pieces of space junk that interact with our atmosphere to create the popular Perseid meteor shower come from Swift-Tuttle
The best way to see the radiant spectacle, which occurs every year, is away from city lights, buildings and trees and where there is a clear view of the horizon.
This year at the summit, the moon will be in a thin crescent phase, creating perfect viewing conditions without moonlight interference.
This means that the moon will emit very little light – at around 20% illumination – creating perfect conditions in the sky for stargazing.
Conditions for next Thursday appear optimistic, according to Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society.
For astronomers in the northern hemisphere, experts recommend monitoring meteor shower after 10 p.m. local time, but it will be optimal in the early hours of dawn.
“The moonlight will not interfere with the shower, so you have a much better chance of seeing more meteors,” said Dr Massey.
“If there is a full moon in the sky, then you might as well be in the city as it will light up the whole sky, but this year the moon will really help us see more Perseid meteors.”
The Perseids actually started in mid-July, but won’t reach full enlightenment until Earth has passed through most of the debris next week.
The maximum number of meteors for the Perseids in previous years has reached 100 meteors per hour, according to NASA, but it is forecasting up to 40 next week.
“In 2021, the Perseid meteor shower is active between July 16 and August 23, with the number of meteors increasing each night until it peaks in mid-August, after which it will stop. “, explains Royal Museums Greenwich.
As comets move closer to the sun, they heat up and disintegrate. If this happens on the Earth’s path around the sun, they can move towards our atmosphere at high speed.
The superheated air around the meteors glows and leaves behind trails of light and explosions in the form of fireballs.
Comet Swift-Tuttle, the origin of the Perseids, stretches 16 miles wide and is formed of ice and rock.
It passes through our solar system once every 133 years, with the last passage in 1992.
The comet will pass within a million kilometers of Earth on August 5, 2126 and August 24, 2261.
The name “Perseid meteor shower” comes from the fact that meteors appear to be erupting from the constellation Perseus, the 24th largest constellation in the sky.
The event is best for viewing in the northern hemisphere, as Dr Massey explains.
“The Perseid radiant – the point in the sky where meteors seem to come from – is at Perseus and high in the northern hemisphere of the sky,” he said.
“It’s 58 degrees north of the celestial equator, which means it would be above 58 degrees north (the latitude of places like Ullapool in Scotland).
“It also means that the radiant never increases for places south of 32 degrees south, so the southernmost parts of Australia and much of Argentina and Chile.
“The result is that the northern hemisphere has the best potential view, because the radiant is higher in the sky and visible for longer, so in theory more meteors are visible.
“As you move south the number decreases and south of 32 degrees south hardly any are seen.”
The Perseids are often nicknamed the best of the year because of their brightness and activity.
“The Perseid meteor shower is special because it’s a beautiful time of year, at least if you’re in the northern hemisphere,” said Dr. Massey.
Long exposure shows stars behind a tree during the Perseid’s annual meteor shower near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, Israel
“It tends to give us a few dozen meteors per hour – so a pretty decent rate if you’ve never seen something like it before – and it does that more or less year on year.
The bubbly treat should continue in the northern hemisphere for a few days after the peak with reduced activity.
Observers have been advised to plan and check the forecast in advance in case the weather is bad, so they can move to a new location or go out on another day.
The next big meteor shower will be the Draconids in October, although it tends to be a less active rain than the Perseids.
The draconid meteor shower comes from debris from Comet 21 P / Giacobini-Zinner – a small comet with a diameter of 1.24 miles (2 kilometers).
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