It is August, which means it is time for one of my favorite meteor showers, the Perseids. This is a great opportunity to get out under the night skies and see a pretty show, as well as share the experience with your friends and sky-watchers around the world. Forget the summer blockbusters, this is the way to go.
The Perseids are created by the tiny remnants left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Earth passes through this material once a year, creating a spectacular show as the cometary particles burn up in the atmosphere.
The meteors, commonly called "shooting stars," appear to come from the direction of the constellation Perseus, hence the name of the shower. The Perseids can produce showers of one to several meteors per minute at peak, make it a popular sky-watching event. I also like it for a chance to enjoy the nice summer nights in the Northern Hemisphere.
Activity has already begun, as several large bollides, or fireballs, have been seen, along with an increase in meteor activity. This year, the peak of the shower will occur on the night of August 12th, so plan for good viewing and hope for good weather!
Watch a video of a large bolide over the UK in the early hours of Aug. 11 (by Adrian West):
The best way to see a meteor shower is to get away from city lights and go where you can get a good view of the entire sky at once. You won't need a telescope. Just lie on your back and wait for the transient lights to catch your eye. This year, the shower occurs just a few days after a new Moon, so there will be less natural light pollution. If the weather isn't going to cooperate that night, you can still enjoy some great viewing on the nights around the peak. The best time for viewing these is after midnight, your local time.
One of my favorite things about astronomy is being able to share it with others. People all around the world will be sharing their Perseid experience on Twitter. Just tweet what you see, using the hashtag #meteorwatch. You can search those tweets to see what is going on, and hopefully we'll have so many people using it, that the trending topic will catch the attention of those who never thought to look before!
Through the Meteorwatch website, you can even report your results to participate in a broader project.
Think the night sky is boring and static? Think again! Just be sure to get away from those bright street lights. Oh, and if you are going to tweet about it, be sure to turn the brightness way down on your phone. Your eyes and your friends will appreciate it!
Watch the #MeteorWatch trailer created by Adrian West (@VirtualAstro):
Image credit: A still from the #MeteorWatch video (Adrian West) via the Meteorwatch website.
Tags: Current Events, Meteors
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