On the night of Monday the 12th July On Tuesday, July 13, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum. The meteors have been visible since July 17 and will be visible until August 24. Contrary to appearances, the best conditions for observing the Perseids are 3-4 days before and after their maximum – informs Karol Wójcicki, the manager of the fanpage “Z głowy w gwiazdach” on Facebook.
Cumulative events in the sky. Perseids may be accompanied by aurora borealis
The next two are shaping up to be exceptional. In addition to the Perseids, the sky may also feature aurora. After the solar flares, three coronal mass ejections are heading towards Earth, which, according to forecasts, could give us a magnetic storm Classes G3 (highest class up to G5) – I'm writing Wójcicki. A similar magnetic storm in May resulted in beautiful aurora borealis visible in the Bieszczady Mountains.
All of this is heading straight to us. We can expect that the aurora conditions will be quite decent on Saturday and Sunday. It would be good if all of this could coincide with our evening, which is coming earlier and earlier by the way.
– writes Karol Wójcicki.
In addition, this year we have great conditions for observing the aurora and the Perseids, because the phase of the moon is favorable for observations. “The moon will set when the sky becomes dark enough for observations. For the rest of the night we will be able to enjoy great conditions for observations. Make the most of it, because both the nearest maximum of the December Geminids and next year's Perseids fall practically… on the full moon” – writes Wojcicki.
What exactly are the Perseids? “They are one of the three largest meteor showers of the year”
Meteors are a light phenomenon in the atmosphere, which disappears after appearing in the sky. “It is an autumn constellation, which in the summer in Poland is visible already in the early evening low above the eastern horizon. However, we will see more meteors, the higher the radiant of the shower (the point from which they fly out) rises. Therefore, the most of this type phenomena you will see it in the second half of the night, before dawn” – described Karol Wójcicki on his website. “The Perseids are one of the three largest meteor showers of the year, and the period of its occurrence and the conditions that accompany it, place it as the most popular shower of falling stars” – added their expert.