Photography: Guardian Design
The main meteor shower of the year for northern sky watchers has arrived. The annual Perseid meteor shower lasts for more than five weeks, starting on July 17 and lasting until August 24, but arriving on the night of August 12-13.
Under pristine viewing conditions, this reliable meteor shower can reach peak speeds of 60 to 100 visible meteors per hour. This year, however, the full moon will blot out many of the fainter meteors. The Perseids themselves are dust grains that were once part of the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. They now hit Earth’s atmosphere at about 130,000 mph and burn up far above the surface of our planet.
The chart shows the view looking northeast from London at midnight as August 12th becomes August 13th. Meteors will emanate in all directions from the radiant point. A reclining lawn chair can come in handy when adjusting to a meteor, and don’t forget to bring a warm coat. Unfortunately, the shower gets harder to see the further south you go. From Sydney, Australia, for example, you’d be lucky to see anything.