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There are many interesting space phenomena to look for this month, according to August’s Astronomy Report: the Perseid Meteor Shower 2015 being one of the most important among them. The space show is expected to attract many attendees, given that conditions are better than ever.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is an astronomical event which usually takes place somewhere between July 27th and August 24th. This year, the sky will be lit up with hundreds of meteors in the night between August 12th and August 13th, so don’t make any plans for this evening.
The best way to view the meteor shower is to go outside the city, preferably in the countryside where the sky is not lit at all. This august, you won’t encounter any difficulties viewing and even counting the falling stars as there is no full moon on the sky. The new moon is set to occur on August 14th, so there will be very little light coming from this celestial body.
In addition, astronomers have estimated that the peak moment of the meteor shower will take place right after 1 a.m. The sky is expected to be very dark at that time of the night, so the burning stars will be visible without telescopes or similar devices. There will be approximately 100 falling stars per hour during the peak hours of the meteor shower, experts have explained.
The first time the Perseids were discovered was in the year 36AD, according to historical documents. However, it was only in 1862 that scientists managed to find out the origin of these meteors when they first discovered the Swift-Tuttle comet. Based on the studies that scientists have made, Perseids are in fact debris that is formed by the Swift-Tuttle comet. The debris catches fire when in contact with Earth’s atmosphere; thus, offering us amazing night views.
These stars belong to the Perseus constellation; hence their denomination as Perseids. Ancient populations have made many assumptions in relation to these stars. The majority of them considered them as signs from God as Perseus was the Greek God who killed Medusa.
Falling stars were always said to bring good luck to those who view them. Watching the Perseid meteor shower could be the perfect moment to make a wish as astronomers think they can come true due to the positive influence of the stars.
Image source: www.davidreneke.com
