The Perseids, considered by NASA as “the best meteor shower of the year”, reach their peak tonight, from Saturday to Sunday.
According to the US space agency, contrary to what happened last year when the Perseids coincided with the full moon, this year the moon will be in the waxing phase, which will allow “observing even some of the faintest meteors.”
With “fast and bright” meteors and also known for their “fireballs,” the Perseids leave “trails of light and color” as they streak through the atmosphere. Because they are “one of the most abundant showers,” an estimated 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour, NASA says.
Dark skies, outside of big cities, are the best setting to see this meteor shower. NASA adds that “you don’t have to look in any particular direction,” as the meteors will cross the entire sky.
The Perseids, according to NASA, “appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, and each meteor has a similar orbit.”
Meteorites come from “remnants of cometary particles and fragments of asteroids.” “When comets orbit the Sun, they leave a trail of dust behind them. Each year, Earth passes through this debris, allowing the bits to collide with our atmosphere and break up to create colorful trails in the sky. “, Explain. the US space agency
In the case of the Perseids, the space debris that interacts with the atmosphere comes from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
Source: TSF
