The Perseid meteor shower is the tiny remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which visits our orbital region once every 130 years. In mid-August, Earth approaches the comet's path so closely that particles suspended in space fall into our atmosphere, creating a spectacle in the night sky.
The Perseids will light up the sky on the night of August 12-13.
The Perseids are among the most famous and regular meteor showers. At their peak, in the right conditions, you can observe up to about 100 individual phenomena per hour. The Perseids shower can be observed until August 24, but they will be most numerous on the night of August 12-13.
– These are particles approximately the size of sand grains, which, when they fall into the Earth's atmosphere, cause light to shine. This high speed is about 60 kilometers per second, not per hour. Then we observe meteors, commonly called falling stars – commented Dr. Hab. Radosław Poleski from the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw.
How to observe meteors? “If we use some optical equipment, we will see fewer of them”
Observing the Perseid meteor shower is a great idea for a night trip in August. However, it should be remembered that the most meteors will be observed where the sky has the least light pollution. Experts emphasized that the further away from the city center we are, the better.
– It is best to observe them with the naked eye. If we use some optical equipment, we will see fewer of them, because the meteors appear in different parts of the sky. By staring at one area of the sky, we can miss what is happening in others. What is necessary is a possibly dark sky, the less artificial lights interfere with us, the more weaker phenomena we will see – added astronomer Dr. Piotr Witek from the Copernicus Science Centre.