The Perseids meteor shower: How to capture the best view
One of the year's brightest and most visible meteor showers, the Perseids, is according to astronomers.
- The annual Perseids meteor shower is expected to continue through September.
- The Perseids are especially bright meteor showers that occur when space debris heats up as it enters the atmosphere.
- To see the Perseids clearly, avoid looking at the sky during the day and minimize the presence of clouds and other sources of light.
The Perseids are returning to illuminate the sky with brilliant flashes of light and color.
The meteor shower, which has been occurring since July, will reach its peak before dawn on Monday. This shower is one of the brightest and most easily seen of the year, with "bright blue meteors — and lots of them," according to University of Warwick astronomer Don Pollacco.
According to the American Meteor Society, more than 50 meteors per hour are predicted during the meteor shower, which continues until Sept. 1.
Here’s what to know about the Perseids and other meteor showers.
What is a meteor shower?
Numerous meteor showers take place each year, and you don't require any special gear to observe them.
The Perseids meteor shower is caused by the debris of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
As rocks from outer space enter Earth's atmosphere, the air's resistance heats them up, causing the air to emit light and leaving a short-lived fiery trail behind them, marking the end of a "shooting star."
Fast-moving space rocks ranging from a dust particle to a boulder may have glowing pockets of air visible in the night sky.
NASA's Bill Cooke stated that the Perseids are caused by "larger particles than most other showers," making them more visible as "brighter fireballs."
How to view a meteor shower
Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and predawn hours.
Under cloudless nights, when the moon wanes smallest, meteor showers appear brightest, and shooting stars are easier to see away from city lights.
The Perseids will be best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere this year, as the peak coincides with a 44% full moon.
When is the next meteor shower?
The society of meteors maintains a record of impending significant meteor showers, including the peak days for observation and the state of the moonlight.
The next major meteor shower will be the Orionids, peaking in mid-October.
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