Even though the Perseids seem to come from the constellation of Perseus (hence its name), they can be seen anywhere in the sky. It is preferable to observe from a place that has few obstacles that limit our sight (such as buildings, trees or mountains), and not to use optical instruments that reduce our field of vision. They can be observed from any location as long as it provides a dark sky. Meteoroids with a mass of less than one kilogram are completely burnt in the atmosphere, but the larger and denser ones (of rocky or metallic consistency), form meteors: calcined remains that reach the ground. However, the high brightness and high transverse speed of some meteors cause a spectacular effect, producing the illusion that they are very close. The height at which a meteor becomes bright depends on the speed at which it enters the atmosphere, but it is usually around 100 kilometers. This is not a star, but an incandescent dust particle. Friction with atmospheric gas burns and vaporizes the meteors, which appear bright for a fraction of a second, forming what we popularly call shooting stars. When the Earth, in its movement around the Sun, encounters one of these rings, some of the rock fragments (meteoroids) are trapped by its gravitational field and enter the atmosphere at high speed, forming a meteor shower. Fortunately, the thin waning Moon will offer excellent conditions for all-night observation.Ī Perseid seen from the Paranal Observatory (Chile), August 2010 STÉPHANE GUISARD/ ESOĬomets, as they revolve around the Sun, release a trail of gas, dust, and debris (rocky materials) that lags behind in an orbit very similar to that of the parent comet.Įach comet thus forms a ring in which numerous cometary fragments can be found. The maximum activity of the shower is expected between August 12 and 13. The year 2023 will be an excellent one to observe the Perseids, since their maximum will occur three days before the new Moon (the new Moon will take place on August 16). Their high activity and favorable atmospheric conditions for observation during the northern summer makes the Perseids the most popular, and most easily observed, of the meteor showers that take place throughout the year. Although their maximum activity takes place during the nights of August 11 to 13, some Perseids can be observable roughly between July 17 and August 24. The speeds of these meteors can exceed 50 kilometers per second and their activity rate can reach 200 meteors per hour. The Perseids are visible from all over the northern hemisphere. The Perseids also receive the popular name of "Tears of Saint Lawrence" because of the proximity of the maximum of the meteor shower to August 10, the day that commemorates the Spanish martyr Saint Lawrence. The Perseids are a meteor shower (commonly called "shooting stars") that happens every year around August 12.
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