Fire From Sky: Perseid Meteor Shower to Reach its Peak in Mid-August

Hello my amateur astronomers get your cameras, telescopes ready to watch the most spectacular show of the year- The Perseid Meteor Shower, because the meteor shower will reach its peak on the night of 12^th and before the dawn of 13^th August.

What causes Perseid Meteor Shower?

Meteors are leftover comet and asteroid particles and when these particles come closer to the sun, they leave a debris trail behind them. When Earth passes through the debris trail, the particles and pieces from it come in contact with our atmosphere and starts burning due to atmospheric friction. Thus, the comet starts to burn and appears us as meteor shower- a colorful display of light in the night sky. The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the pieces of comet 109P/ Swift-Tuttle when the Earth passes through the densest region of debris trail from August 11 to 12^th. The last time the comet passed close to the Earth was in 1992. The next time it will pass close to the Earth is in year 2126 and is the largest known object to repeatedly pass close to the Earth. Now, you might wonder how do we know that it is this comet responsible for the meteor shower? The answer to this question was given by Giovanni Schiaparelli who in 1865 realized that this comet was the source of the Perseid meteor shower.

Where do they come from- Radiant?

Radiant is a point in the sky where comets appear to come from. In case of Perseid meteor shower, the radiant is constellation Perseus. That’s why the name Perseid.  It is during the time of July when the Earth passes through the debris of comet 109P/ Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August, and is considered the best meteor shower of the year. According to NASA, “Perseid shower is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere before the dawn”. In 2023, the meteor shower is active from July 17 and August 24^th and will reach its peak on the night of 12^th and before the dawn of 13^th August. What makes this year’s meteor shower special is that you could spot 100 meteors per hour because the moon will only be 10% illuminated. So get your tools ready to capture these fireballs!!

Facts

Origin	Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle
Radiant	Constellation Perseus
Active	July 17 to Aug. 24, 2023 (Peak Aug. 13)
Peak Activity Meteor Count	Up to 100 meteors per hour
Meteor Velocity	59 km per second

About Author

Maanvinder P is an amateur astronomer and writer from India who loves to gaze at the stars and write on Fridays about this cosmos and climate change.

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