Wow! The Perseid meteor shower is coming! – Sky & Telescope

The days have been so hot this summer that I've been spending more time outside than usual to cool off. The benefits are many and include breathing in that irresistibly scented air, standing under the arch of the Milky Way in my shirtsleeves and doing a lot of stargazing. Becoming as nocturnal as a bat may be a good habit to develop as we approach the peak of one of the best days of the year. The richest meteor showers: the perseids. I have never been left out all Night to watch this annual cosmic paper ball spectacle. This time, I'm seriously thinking about it.

There are plenty of motivations to do so. The Moon will be in its last quarter in Libra and will set between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m. local time, well before the Perseid meteor shower peaks in the early morning of August 12. Either way, its modest light will not have a significant impact on the shower. From a terribly dark location, with no Moon and the radiant at the zenith, expert observers might see 100 Perseids per hour. Since most of us live with varying levels of light pollution, a more realistic expectation would be half that rate. I typically see 30 to 40 meteors per hour from my home. Bortle 4.5 site — enough to keep the shower joy factor at 10.

He International Meteor Organization The maximum will occur between 13 and 16 UT (9 a.m. to noon EDT) on August 12, making the night of August 11–12 the best time for observers in the Americas to see the peak. Since the maximum does not occur until well into August 12, the following night (August 12–13) will likely be good as well. In any case, the Perseid shower will be active until about August 24, so the chance of seeing a Perseid on any clear night is virtually assured.

Numbers are typically lower at night, when the radiant is low in the northeastern sky, because many downward-bound meteors are blocked by the horizon. Typically, the later you get up, the more meteors you'll see. Earth's nighttime hemisphere rotates in the direction of the planet's orbital motion after midnight, which increases the number of impacts, both from the meteor shower and from other unrelated phenomena. sporadic Meteors. Particles don't necessarily have to chase us during the early morning hours: we meet them head on.

From 40° north latitude, the radiant peaks in the northeastern sky at more than 60° altitude around the start of dawn. That's why observing from midnight to dawn usually means seeing more meteors than during the evening hours. But whether you're heading out at 10 p.m.—a great time to hang out with the kids—or hoot with the owls at 3 a.m., the only equipment you'll need is a blanket and a reclining chair. A pair of binoculars to peer into the sky during lulls wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Or even some favorite music. Meteor showers always come in bursts separated by periods of inactivity that can last up to a few minutes. At first glance, these empty moments may seem boring, but the temporary lack of action only increases our anticipation for the next arrival.

The Perseid meteor shower is known for its occasional outbursts, which occur when the Earth's path passes through filaments — local increases in meteoroid density — within the comet’s orbital debris trail. Several are expected during this year’s shower, particularly around 9 UT (5 a.m. EDT) on August 12. Additional trail crossings are possible between 4 UT and 11 UT (midnight to 7 a.m. EDT) on the same date. Observers are advised to closely monitor the meteor shower for increases in meteoroid numbers at these times. For ways to record and contribute your visual, video, and radio observations of the Perseids, visit the meteor shower website. American Meteor Society and click the Programs tab.

I hope the weather is ideal and you can see lots of Perseids. For me, the meteor shower is another example that the best things in life are free.