The most prolific annual meteor shower of the year, the Perseids, peaks tonight, with up to 75 shooting stars per hour in the sky in some parts of the world. Although the United States experienced its peak last night (Sunday, August 11), many shooting stars will still be visible in the sky tonight for those in suitably dark areas.
Although bright meteors are expected, the show can be greatly affected by the strong moonlight. But this year, the moon will set just as the Perseid meteor shower begins to pick up steam, according to American Meteorite SocietyThe best time to search would be after 1am local time.
to update: The aurora borealis may also join the show in many parts of the world, as a powerful geomagnetic storm will make the northern lights visible at lower latitudes than usual, including in more than a dozen states near the U.S.-Canada border, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Shooting stars are caused by MeteoritesAs these tiny particles enter Earth’s atmosphere, they heat up and vaporize, releasing visible energy as streaks of light in the night sky. The Perseids move at 37 miles per second (60 kilometers per second), and there are typically between 50 and 75 meteors visible each hour during the peak of the night. That’s about one meteor per minute, though you’d need to be far enough from the sun to see them. Light pollution A huge number of shooting stars can be seen.
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The Perseid meteor shower is known for its fast and bright meteors, according to NASAThe meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, hence its name. This constellation will be high in the northwestern sky in the Northern Hemisphere in the hours after midnight, when most of the meteors are expected to be seen. The Andromeda Galaxy, above Perseus, and the Pleiades, above Mars and Jupiter, will also be visible in this region of the sky.
Although tonight’s peak offers the highest frequency of meteors, the Perseids will be active from July 14 to September 1, 2024, and the “shooting stars” can be seen every night.
The visibility of shooting stars depends largely on Moon phasesFortunately, the half-lit Moon will set on Monday, August 12, about an hour after midnight local time in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that strong moonlight won’t interfere with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower this year. Clear, dark skies are required to see the meteors.
stargazing binoculars and backyard telescopes Meteor showers are not recommended for viewing, as you will need to allow your eyes to see the entire sky to look for shooting stars. However, your stargazing equipment should be ready for other night sky events this year, including planetary conjunctions, a supermoon, and possibly the passage of a very rare comet.
according to NASAComet 109P/Swift-Tuttle is the root cause of the Perseid meteor shower. It last entered the inner atmosphere Solar System In 1992 and will enter it again in 2125.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Monday (August 12) with current information about the Perseid meteor shower peak.
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