It isn’t really necessary to find the radiant though to see the meteor shower, McGuire said.
Advertisement
The reason the shower is called the Perseids is because, when emerging in the sky above the Northern Hemisphere, the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. The dust disintegrates and is lit up by the friction of the air caused by its blinding speed and is visible as gorgeous bright streaks that light up the sky.
Meteors can be seen throughout the night sky, so don’t limit your range to just this area. Looking anywhere up in the sky is fine but views to the northeast should provide the most 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”.
Up to 20 times more shooting stars than normal are expected to jet across the heavens after dark, according to David Moore, of Astronomy Ireland.
Other mornings leading up to the Wednesday night/Thursday morning peak could also be good for spotting meteors, as Earth moves toward the densest part of the comet’s trail. The peak viewing time is between 3 and 4 am Thursday.
“Ideally what you want is dark skies, which means getting away from light pollution, even street lights”.
The Perseids are pieces of dust left in the path of the comet Swift-Tuttle.
These meteors are expected to be visible from August 11 to 14, particularly in the early morning hours of August 13.
In terms of location, residents near farms and open spaces are in a better position as they can see it better, according to Bill Cooke, NASA’s meteor expert, “Pastures or farms are good”.
Advertisement
The meteor shower is composed of particles released from Comet 109/Swift-Tuttle during its many trips to the inner solar system, a region comprising terrestrial planets and asteroids.
