Moonlight Steals the Show from Perseid Meteor Shower
Every summer, the Perseid meteor shower puts on one of the night sky’s most anticipated displays. People look forward to those bright streaks of light and dazzling fireballs, each leaving behind a glowing wake as they burn through the atmosphere. But this year, something else in the sky will be stealing the spotlight — and not in a good way. A full moon will be shining right at the peak, which means the Perseids won’t be as visible as usual.
The peak is expected from the night of August 12 into the early hours of August 13. Normally, the Perseids can produce up to 25 visible meteors per hour under dark skies. But with the moon’s bright light washing everything out, only the brightest meteors will stand out. NASA says a few may still be spotted in the predawn hours, but conditions won’t be ideal. Think of it like trying to spot fireflies while someone’s shining a floodlight — not impossible, but tricky.
Also Read:- Erceg Survives Early Scare to Defeat Osbourne at UFC Vegas 109
- Brandon Smith Questioned by Police Before Milestone NRL Game
The shower officially began on July 17 and will continue until August 23, so there’s still some time to try your luck. The best chance is before dawn, though a few meteors could appear as early as 10 p.m. if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society suggests facing north, settling into a comfortable lounge chair, and being patient. Meteors tend to appear in bursts, so you might go 15 minutes without seeing a single one, then suddenly catch four or five in just a minute.
The Perseids come from tiny bits of debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet, a giant icy rock with a nucleus about 16 miles wide. As it orbits the Sun every 133 years, it scatters dust and particles in its path. Earth plows through that trail each summer, and those particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating the meteors we see. Swift-Tuttle last passed by in 1992, and that year the display reached around 200 meteors per hour — a true celestial fireworks show.
While it’s not the strongest meteor shower of the year, the Perseids win the popularity contest because they happen during warm summer nights, when people are more willing to stay outside and watch. Other major showers, like the Geminids or Quadrantids, peak in the icy chill of winter. This year, though, the real challenge isn’t the temperature — it’s the moon. So if you’re hoping to see them, try to find the darkest spot possible, bring some patience, and maybe enjoy the fact that even if the meteors are harder to spot, the night sky still has plenty of wonders to offer.
Read More:
0 Comments