Meteor Shower in Northern Hemisphere.The Perseids is an annual meteor shower that peaks around mid-August. It is regarded as one of the brightest and most visible meteor showers.
The Perseid cloud, consisting of particles ejected from the comet Swift-Tuttle, is expected to be particularly spectacular this year as the heavens align to please astronomers across the country.
A new moon on the night of August 14 will create perfect viewing conditions, while the International Space Station is also expected to make an appearance, flying over the UK at about 10.30pm.
Stargazers can expect to see as many as 100 meteors an hour streak across the night sky, each leaving a trail.
Meteors are bits of ice and dust, sometimes as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pea, entering the Earth's atmosphere at 134,000mph and burning up.
The Perseids appear to originate from within the star constellation Perseus, hence the shower's name.
Though happening from July 17 to August 24, and visible any night this week, it will peak overnight on Wednesday and into the small hours of Thursday morning - it will be best seen when the sky is at its darkest.
The International Space Station will make a cameo appearance around 10.30pm, moving across the sky from the west below the bright star of Arcturus, towards the south. It will be best seen in the south of England and will be the brightest light in the sky before it moves out of sight shortly after 10.30pm.
The shower will be most visible in the south of England. Look for the shower's "radiant" from the north-east corner of Perseus. But really the best place to see it is dependant on your location on the ground - anywhere away from the light pollution of towns and cities, where the sky is darkest, will help you see the meteors more clearly.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the annual August Perseid meteor shower probably ranks as the all-time favourite meteor shower of the year. This major shower takes place during the lazy, hazy days of summer, when many families are on vacation. And what could be more luxurious than taking a siesta in the heat of the day and watching this summertime classic in the relative coolness of night?
No matter where you live worldwide, the 2015 Perseid meteor shower will probably be fine on the mornings of August 11, 12, 13 and 14, with the nod going to August 13. On a dark, moonless night, you can often see 50 or more meteors per hour from northerly latitudes, and from southerly latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps about one-third that many meteors. Fortunately, in 2015, the waning crescent moon comes up shortly before sunrise, so you’re guaranteed of dark skies for this year’s Perseid meteor shower. Thus, on the Perseids’ peak mornings, moonlight will not obscure this year’s Perseid meteors.
General rules for Perseid-watching. You need no special equipment to enjoy this nighttime spectacle. You don’t even have to know the constellations. But you’ll definitely want to find a dark, open sky to fully enjoy the show. It also helps to be a night owl. Give yourself at least an hour of observing time, for these meteors in meteor showers come in spurts and are interspersed with lulls.
An open sky is essential because these meteors fly across the sky in many different directions and in front of numerous constellations. If you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backward, you’d find they come from a point in front of the constellation Perseus. But once again, you don’t need to know Perseus or any other constellation to watch this or any meteor shower.
Enjoy the comfort of a reclining lawn chair and look upward in a dark sky, far away from pesky artificial lights. Remember, your eyes can take as long as twenty minutes to truly adapt to the darkness of night. So don’t rush the process. All good things come to those who wait.
Cheers everyone. Happy Star Gazing.
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