Perseid Meteor Shower Will Fill the Sky With Up to 100 Shooting Stars Per Hour This Week

As the Earth passes through the debris left behind the Comet Swift-Tuttle between August 11 and August 13, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak by midnight. The meteor shower is one of the brightest meteor showers in the northern hemisphere, which started in mid-July.

It is one of the high points in the celestial calendar with up to 100 shooting stars per hour that will fill the sky. The meteors, which are mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, will burn up as they hit the atmosphere at 36 miles per hour, producing a streak of light.

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Watching the Perseid Meteor Showers

There is no need to use for telescopes in seeing the Perseid meteor showers because it can be seen by the naked eye. It got its name from the constellation Perseus which they seem to come from.

If the skies are clear, the Perseid meteor shower can be seen from 12:30 AM EST or 5:30BST in the UK, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. The meteor shower will be visible in both north and south of the equator. But those located in the mid-northern latitudes will have the best view in seeing the celestial show.

Meaning, countries like those in Europe, the United States, and Canada will be able to see the Perseid meteor shower at the best view, according to astronomers. Additionally, the stellar views will also be seen from Mexico, Central America, Asia, a large part of Africa, and parts of South America.

But for the UK spectators, the Royal Museums Greenwich recommends checking the weather forecast before setting off as there is a predicted rain and thunderstorms to happen this week in the country.

Perseid meteor showers are visible anywhere, but it is best to see it when the skies are clear and in places where moonlight or street lighting is not present. Reducing the amount of light pollution in the field of view will help in distinguishing the meteor showers.

"This could mean heading out to the countryside, a nearby park, or even do something as simple as turning your back to street lamps if you are not able to go anywhere," the museum wrote.

Furthermore, astronomers advise giving the eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust in the dark and avoid looking at the phone or gadgets to see more of the fainter meteors.

NASA does not recommend using binoculars or telescopes to get a clearer view of the Perseid meteor showers as the naked eye is already sufficient. Since the meteors can be seen in all skies, there is no need to look at different directions.

Capturing a Photo of the Perseid Meteor Showers

NASA's advice for those who want to capture a photo of the celestial event is to use a camera with the tripod to make sure their image is not blurred.

For best results, taking an image would involve a long-exposure shot that would last from a few seconds to a minute while keeping the camera stable.

NASA's Bill Cooke warns enthusiasts from setting the exposure any longer than the advised time. Otherwise, they would pick up the rotation of the stars, blocking out streaks from the meteors.

Tags Meteor shower , Shooting star