Jupiter’s Gravitational Pull: Why Perseid Meteor Shower Be Majestic This Year?

Sky gazers must have already set their schedule to get ready for the most awaited meteor show of the year, the Perseid Meteor Shower. The grandest and most spectacular show will light the sky whole night of Thursday until early morning of Friday. According to experts, Jupiter's effect will make it more memorable for every meteor shower addicts out there.

There are presumptions concerning the visibility of the Perseid Meteor Shower regarding how difficult it would be to perceive the magnificence of the celestial show. But despite that, the Space posted some of the reasons why this years' celestial show is still the best. One of the reasons is because of Jupiter's gravitation force that will intercede the Perseids shine the brightest as these meteors enter the Earth's atmospheric cover this year.

Meteors are actually space objects that has "evolved from comets." These frozen ball of gas and particles are still not on fire until they reach the earth's atmosphere with an average speed of 37 miles per second or about 60 kilometers per second. But before it passes the Earth's surface and became the meteor shower that celestial addicts are into now, it is believed that it has already passed other planets and objects in the universe.

As the Perseids pass through the other planets in the universe, the planets' gravitational force affects its direction. Experts say, of all the planets that these meteors have passed through, Jupiter, being the largest planet, is what affects its trail the most. The more the Jupiter's gravitational force affects the Perseids' trail, the brighter the Perseids are. Aside from that, the force also helps increase the numbers of meteors that could wrap up the show.

Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteoriod Environments Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama said, there's no need to make an effort just to enjoy the Perseid, as posted by Live Science. "All you've got to do is go outside, find a nice dark spot, lie flat on your back and look up." You don't need a lot of gadgets, "you can even use your eyes alone," he added.