Nature-lovers and sky-watchers are getting excited about this year’s Perseid meteor shower, which has begun.
Plans must now be made to visit a dark sky for the peak night on Saturday-Sunday, August 12-13, 2023 to see 50-75 “shooting stars” per hour, according to the American Meteor Society. Clear skies allowing, of course.
Here’s why everyone is making a fuss about this year’s Perseid meteor shower in a way that certainly didn’t happen last year:
1. The Night Sky Will be Very Dark
Occurring just a few nights before New Moon, on the peak night there will be a distinct lack of moonlight. In fact, even when it does rise—about 04:00 a.m. wherever you are in North America—it will be barely 8% illuminated. The rise in the east of a beautifully slim crescent moon will be a signal that your (hopefully fruitful) night of watching for “shooting stars” is coming to an end.
It’s a dramatically different scenario to 2022, when the Perseids peak clashed with a full moon, which is in the night sky all night long.
2. Its ‘Shooting Stars’ Will be Bright
The longer you stay up on peak night (of any night), the brighter the Perseids will likely be. By 02:00 a.m. their radiant point, the constellation Perseus, will be high in the darkest possible sky, so they will appear at their brightest. Just make sure you have dark-adapted your eyes (resist the temptation to look at your smartphone).
3. ‘Fireballs’ Are Possible
According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower is known for its fireballs—explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. They occur because the chunks of debri from the source comet—called Swift-Tuttle—that strike Earth’s atmosphere are larger than for other meteor showers.
4. You’ll See the Milky Way
As it happens, August is an excellent time to see the arc of the Milky Way in the night sky from the northern hemisphere. Look to the south and you should see the arc move throughout the night.
5. The Peak is Long and Well Timed
According to Sky At Night, the Perseid meteor shower has a particularly long, wide peak of about 16 hours, so although it’s best to be outside on peak night to see the absolute maximum number of “shooting stars” per hour, the nights either side should also see impressive numbers. However, outside of that long peak, meteor activity falls by about half. However, the precise peak is during hours of darkness, or thereabouts, for Europe and North America. So expect peak rates during the night—with 02:00 a.m. local time the darkest and, arguably, the best time to look for them wherever you are.
6. There Are Two Other Meteor Showers Underway
As the Perseids peak on August 12/13, to other meteor showers will be producing the occasional “shooting star.” Both the Alpha Capricornids (known for bright fireballs) and the Southern Delta Aquariids are active from mid-August through mid-September, so expect a few extra meteors to appear in the night sky.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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