A highlight of most meteorite hunters and skywatchers each year, the Perseid meteor shower displays an increasing number of visible and desirable rocks for several weeks during the summer. The annual rain will start tonight – read on for the best way to see the space phenomenon.
Characterized by a small, rocky or metallic body, meteorites are much smaller than asteroids and range in size from tiny grains to bodies one meter wide.
However, the Perseid meteor shower is known for being colorful and exhibiting equally bright light trails, although it is particularly private, reaching 100 boulders per hour, although you can see about 50.
What is a Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseid meteor shower was observed more than 2,000 years ago and occurs when Earth passes through the orbit of Comet Swift Tuttle.
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When comets orbit near the sun, they heat up, causing parts of them to disintegrate.
The Royal Museum of Greenwich (RMG) said that if debris (meteorites) fell on Earth’s path around the sun, it could infiltrate our atmosphere at a speed of 11 to 70 kilometers per second.
However, the exact speed at which a meteorite enters the atmosphere will depend on the combined speed of Earth and the debris itself.
RMG said: “The average velocity of a Perseid meteor is 36 miles per second, and the air in front of the meteor is crushed and heated to thousands of degrees Celsius.
And she continued, “Smaller meteorites evaporate and leave behind a trail of bright light,” while “larger meteorites can explode in the form of fireballs.”
If cloudy and rainy conditions are expected where you are, you can fly to a new location where the weather is set to be clearer or leave on a different day. After all, the rains should continue in the coming weeks.
Another tip is to try to reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of vision.
Go to the countryside, park, or other large area to get a better view. The Royal Museums Greenwich suggests doing something as simple as turning your back on street lamps to see if you can’t travel.
RMG said: “Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adapt to the darkness so you can catch more faint meteors – that means you don’t have to look at your phone!
“Meteorites can appear anywhere in the sky, so the more you see the sky, the better.”
Try to find an area away from trees and buildings and a clearer view of the horizon – but don’t worry about bringing binoculars and telescopes. This will limit the amount of sky you can see.
Get out when the sky is darker and for meteor shots in particular, any time between midnight and the early hours of the morning is the best time to do so.
However, with Perseid, it can also be visible in the early evening, once the sun goes down due to its glow above the horizon.
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