SPACE fireworks are about to explode across our night skies as up to 100 meteors pass through Earth’s atmosphere per hour.
The dazzling display comes from the Perseid meteor shower – known for its fireballs and long “trails” of light and color.
4
4
Stargazers consider the rare event, which peaks in mid-August, to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to NASA.
That’s because Earth is currently passing through trails of cosmic debris originating from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
And it will be showier this weekend, with about 50 to 100 shooting stars visible per hour.
The incredible event peaked spectacularly overnight from Aug. 11 into the early hours of Aug. 12, said the American Meteor Society.
WHEN TO SEE THE PERSEIDS
“The Perseids will reach their next peak on the night of August 11-12, 2024. On this night, the moon will be 44% full,” he added.
“You will start to see meteors from the shower around 11 p.m. local time, and the rates will increase until dawn,” said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Environmental Meteoroid Office.
“If you miss the night of the 11th, you might also see some on the night of the 12th between those times.”
The phenomenon is caused by Earth’s collision with debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, said the Greenwich Royal Museumsin London, United Kingdom.
“The meteors will appear to originate from the constellation Perseus. You can use a stargazing app to find the exact spot you should look for,” she advised.
However, many experts recommend that rather than focusing on one part of the night sky, it’s better to take as wide a view as possible.
So, you don’t need specialized equipment to enjoy this spectacle.
Earth will shatter into chunks of ice and rock left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed close to Earth in 1992. It will return again in 2125.
Swift-Tuttle is a large comet with a nucleus 26 km in diameter.
“This is more than twice the size of the object thought to have caused the disappearance of the dinosaurs,” NASA said.
Scientists keep an eye on this comet as it is “one of the largest near-Earth objects,” said Teddy Kareta, a planetary scientist at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
It is also nicknamed the Great Comet of 1862, as it was independently discovered that year by American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle of the Harvard Observatory.
Swift – a New York-based farmer and hardware store owner – was one of the greatest discoverers of comets during the late 19th century.
Perseid meteor shower: when to see the most shooting stars
The Perseid meteor shower is famous for its fireballs
Peaking in mid-August, it is considered the best meteor shower of the year.
It will be most obvious at 4 a.m. Universal Time (UTC/GMT) on Monday, August 12, according to the American Meteor Society.
So in North America, that means it will be most visible this weekend – overnight, on the night of Sunday, August 11th.
This is where you should look at the night sky:
US time zones:
- 9pm PDT on Sunday, August 11
- 10:00 pm MDT on Sunday, August 11
- 11pm CDT on Sunday, August 11
- 12:00 pm (midnight) EDT on Monday, August 12
Men discovered the comet – which has an orbit of 133 years – during the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln was president of the USA.
But centuries ago it was famous for a terrible and superstitious reason.
HEAVENLY Omen
It was believed to be linked to the bloody death of an early saint, who died on August 10, 258 AD by being grilled over hot coals, the newspaper reported. National Geography.
A superstition that was shared “for centuries” among Catholics in parts of England and Germany was that the meteor shower was the burning tears of St. Lawrence.
This is due to the fact that it was seen on August 10, “this day being the anniversary of his martyrdom”, said astronomer Edward Herrick, in the 1839 volume of The American Journal of Science and Arts.
And in 1862, it was seen as a heavenly omen during the American Civil War, said Astronomia.com.
This is because the Perseids are known for their fireballs – large explosions of light and color that can be seen for longer than an average meteor streak.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the debris flow from comet Swift-Tuttle.
The Perseids occur as Earth travels through the trail of cosmic rocks and dust left behind by this comet.
Pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere.
They burn in a burst of light – seen as a bright bolt of lightning in the night sky.
When looking for shooting stars in the night sky, keep an eye out for meteors that appear unusually bright, colorful or long-lasting, the Smithsonian Magazine.
“These ‘fireballs’ – which result from larger pieces of space debris entering Earth’s atmosphere – are common during the Perseids,” he added.
The Perseids are active from July 14th to September 1st and peak around August 11th to August 12th, 2024.
At its peak, stargazers could see up to 100 meteors per hour and a few fireballs.
Typical Perseid meteoroids move at 133,200 mph (214,365 km/h).
These fireballs come from the comet’s larger particles.
As Earth passes through the comet’s debris trails, pieces – some as small as a grain of sand – collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate to create fiery, colorful streaks across the sky.
A typical Perseid meteor enters the atmosphere while traveling at speeds of about 133,200 mph.
Its projected speed is 37 miles per second (59 km), the American Meteor Society said.
BURNING
The Perseids are extraordinarily hot, with temperatures reaching more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 Celsius).
They begin to burn about 100 km above the Earth’s surface, he said. Espaço.com.
Few are likely to reach the ground and turn into meteorites.
The meteor shower is just one of the many stargazing events you can enjoy in 2024.
For example, there are three supermoons gracing the night sky on September 18th, October 17th, and November 15th.
4
4
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
