The Best Meteor Shower of The Year is About to Begin
- Editor OGN Daily
- Jul 18
- 1 min read
Easily visible to the naked eye, the Perseids meteor shower occurs annually from about now to 23 August.
The Perseids originate from the debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle as it orbits the sun every 133 years and the Perseids "swift and bright" meteors often leave long "wakes" of light and colour behind as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere, leading to the best annual display of meteors, astronomers say.
This often spectacular event is also known for their fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and colour that persist longer than an average meteor streak, according to NASA. Fireballs are brighter and originate from larger particles of cometary material.
Under a dark sky, the Perseids can produce between 50 and 100 meteors per hour, says NASA. And because they occur during the summer, the timing of their arrival has the added benefit of providing star gazers with warm night time weather in order to comfortably watch them.
The Perseids can be viewed all over the night sky, but they are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the pre-dawn hours. For best viewing, NASA advises spectators to lie flat on their back in a region away from light pollution and allow some time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Look to the north east.
This year, the meteor shower expected to peak around 12 August, according to EarthSky.org. And, don't worry, OGN will give you a reminder nearer the time.
