You can get a chance to see the annual celestial event of the Perseid meteor shower in the sky, today, 12 Aug.
The Perseid meteor shower is at its peak every year in mid-August. The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most strong annual meteor showers, will occur between July 14 and September 1.
How and when to watch Perseid Meteor Shower in 2022 -
According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower will be at its peak on the nights of August 12 and August 13.
This will be one of the biggest meteor showers of the year.
Between midnight and dawn, when Perseus rises above the horizon, is the best time to see the Perseids.
You don't need any special equipment to get a good view of Perseids Meteor showers. To get a good view, all you need is just a dark viewing spot away from artificial light.
To avoid missing any meteors that may pass overhead, you should also give your eyes about 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak tonight (12 August), but the full Sturgeon Moon will also brighten the night sky, giving the "shooting stars" some competition.
Since the brightness of the full Sturgeon Supermoon is more than other full moons, in such a situation, the brightness of Perseids Meteor showers will fade in front of the brightness of the moon.
The Perseid meteor shower is at its peak right now, but many Perseids have been drowned out by the light reflecting from the full moon.
If you missed the Perseids' peak, the meteor shower will still be visible for the rest of the month.
The days after the meteor shower's peak will give skywatchers an even better chance of seeing meteors as the moon becomes less bright.
Causes of the Perseid Meteor Shower ---
The phenomenon of the meteor shower is seen when the Earth passes near the debris left by a comet or asteroid.
When meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speed, they produce a strong flame, hence they are called "shooting stars".
According to NASA, there are more than 30 such meteor shower events every year. The point of origin of meteor showers is called the Radiant.
Meteor showers such as Perseid in August, Quadrantis in December-January, Lyrids in April, Leonids in November, and Geminids in December are observed every year.
Like Earth, comets also revolve around the Sun. But comets do not orbit in a circular orbit like the Earth, so they deviate from their orbit and start burning.
Meteorites are objects in space, ranging in size from a particle of dust to a small asteroids. They are formed due to break-up or explosion from other large bodies such as comets, asteroids, planets, and satellites.
The Swift Tuttle comet is the main cause of the Perseid meteor shower. It orbits the Sun in 133 years. It last passed close to Earth in 1992. It was discovered in the year 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle.