The Perseid meteor shower will peak August 11-13, and here’s how you can see it
One of the best and most anticipated meteor showers of the year will soon light up the sky.
Every year the earth is moved by a trail of debris from a passing comet and the result is the Perseid meteor shower, which takes place from mid-July to the end of August.
The meteor shower will peak between August 11 and 13 this year, which means it will be the best time to see a meteor or what you might call a shooting star.
“But unfortunately, this year the Perseids will not be as spectacular as last year in 2021 and the reason for that is because the full moon is approaching,” explained Malhar R. Kendurkar, president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Prince. Center George.
Kendurkar said that during the Perseids there are 100 to 150 meteors per hour, but because of the full moon, some of that light will block the view of the fainter meteors.
“But I am hopeful because we will have many clear nights nearby. All nights have been clear so far, but tomorrow and Friday night will be clear. These two nights are going to be great.”
He added that the Perseids are actually known for their fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and color.
“Fireballs stay longer than an average meteor shower. So an average meteor shower will last like milliseconds or something, but with the Perseids you can sometimes see it for a second or two. I saw it for six seconds a couple of years ago.”
Meteors are visible because Earth travels through debris, ice and rock, left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle which was first discovered in 1862 by amateur astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle.
Kendurkar said that the last time this comet passed close to the earth, where it could be seen with the naked eye, was in 1992 and the next pass of this comet will be in 2126.
How to see the Perseids
The best place to watch the Perseid meteor shower is outside the city, where it is slightly darker.
“The best place to see the meteor shower is of course outside of the city where there is little or no light pollution and you don’t really need binoculars or telescopes to see this meteor shower,” Kendurkar explained.
“The trick is to take in as much sky as possible and let your eyes adjust to the dark for 30 minutes because we’re so used to seeing light and light pollution, but the eyes need time to adjust to the dark sky “.
He said that traveling 25 to 35 or 50 kilometers away from the city should be a sufficient distance.
“The peak will start in the early morning because that’s when the Perseids constellation really rises in the northern hemisphere.”
The Prince George Observatory will not be open in time for the Perseids, as it is closed in August and will reopen to the public starting September 2nd.
However, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Prince George Center has many great resources on their website to help space enthusiasts.
There are tips on reducing light pollution, spotting meteors, forecasting the aurora, the clear sky chart, as well as a sky map and space weather forecast.
Photo via Canadian Space Agency
Where the Perseids get their name
According to NASA, the Perseids get their name because they appear to come from the constellation Perseus, first cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century.
“However, the constellation for which a meteor shower is named serves only to help viewers determine which shower they are seeing on a given night,” the space agency says on its website. “The constellation is not the source of the meteors.”
Perseus is a hero of Greek mythology, son of the god Zeus, and considered the founder of the ancient city of Mycenae. He decapitated the snake-haired monster Medusa using a reflective shield to “turn her powers against her” and rescued Princess Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus, King of Ethiopia, and his wife Cassiopeia from being sacrificed to the sea monster Cletus.
From the Canadian Space Agency:
“According to legend, Perseus’ most famous feat was defeating Medusa, the Gorgon sister with snakes instead of hair. Medusa would turn anyone who looked at her to stone, and Perseus defeated her by using a reflective shield to turn her power against her. This is why Perseus is often depicted holding his head. The star Algol, or demon star, in the constellation Perseus actually represents the head of Medusa.
“According to the myth, Perseus also married the princess Andromeda. They rest forever side by side in the sky, like two constellations. You can find them in the sky near the constellation Cassiopeia, Andromeda’s mother in myth, a fairly easy constellation to find because of its W shape.”
― with files from Matt Preprost, Elana Shepert
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