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Between 60 and 100 meteors will fall every hour on the night of August 12th.
It’s official: this week look ahead for the Perseid meteor shower 2015 as astronomers have confirmed that the skies will be lit on the night of August 12th. Conditions are better this year because there is no full moon and the peak moment of the meteor shower will take place in the middle of the night.
Astronomers and space lovers have been waiting for the month of August since the beginning of the year. Many astronomical events have been foreseen for this period, but the Perseid meteor shower 2015 has definitely outrun them all.
The much-awaited moment has finally arrived, so you can watch the amazing meteor show on the night between August 12th and August 13th. Approximately 90 meteors are expected to cross the skies within a one-hour interval, particularly after 1am, when the meteor shower will have its peak.
Unless we’re facing unexpected clouds, this year’s Perseid event should be more visible than ever. This according to astronomers, who have labeled the matching of the peak moment with the lack of full moon as the perfect combination. The new moon is set to take place on August 14th, so there will be but little light on the sky.
Perseids are better viewed from the suburbs or some other location outside the city where there are no lights during the night time. You might want to take your beloved one to a less populated area if you plan on attending the event. If you apply these simple rules, you should be able to view the meteors without any problems, experts have concluded.
Perseids represent, in fact, debris that is left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet. This space debris gets lit up when in contact with Earth’s atmosphere, a phenomenon which usually occurs between July 27th and August 24th. The comet was first discovered in 1862, but ancient populations have long noticed the Perseids as the first documents on their existence date back to 36 AD.
The name of the meteor shower does not come from the comet, as one might expect, but rather from the constellation of Perseus, where they are formed. Ancient mythologies described the event as a gift from Gods. For that matter, astronomers think the meteor shower can bring luck and fortune to those who witness the burning stars across the skies.
Image source: www.scienceheathen.com
