{"id":32437,"date":"2023-08-12T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/687e84d5-eadb-4f77-86b5-006b38b9b561"},"modified":"2023-08-12T19:38:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T17:38:26","slug":"meteor-shower-peak-tonight-how-to-see-the-perseid-meteor-shower","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/meteor-shower-peak-tonight-how-to-see-the-perseid-meteor-shower\/","title":{"rendered":"Meteor shower peak tonight: How to see the Perseid meteor shower"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Holly Spanner\n <\/p>

Published: Saturday, 12 August 2023 at 17:00 PM<\/p>

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August is here, and for stargazers that also means the famous Perseid meteor shower<\/a>. It\u2019s a highly-anticipated shower thanks to the meteors\u2019 fast speeds, persistent trains and high frequency. And this year, there\u2019s no full Moon to interfere with proceedings.<\/p>

The Perseids are a long shower, beginning last month on 17 July, and continuing for five-and-a-half weeks until 24 August. The maximum occurs overnight from Saturday 12 August to Sunday 13 August, but if conditions are cloudy, we\u2019re in with a good chance the night after as well.<\/p>

During its zenith, meteor numbers could reach to around 100 per hour<\/a>, although it\u2019s advisable to treat these projections with a pinch of salt.<\/p>

The Perseid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes the trail of dust and debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle (109P\/Swift\/Tuttle), and at its peak this weekend we\u2019ll be passing through the densest part of this dust trail.<\/p>

In some Catholic countries, the Perseids are also sometimes called the Tears of Saint Lawrence, as they\u2019re visible on 10 August \u2013 the date of his martyrdom \u2013 and rather grimly represent sparks from the fire on which he was burnt. Nice.<\/p>

How to see the Perseid meteor shower<\/h2>

The night of the 12\/13 August will be the best opportunity for meteor-spotting. Meteors will be visible as soon as darkness falls, but the sky will be darkest between midnight and the early hours of Sunday morning, so they may appear brighter (and therefore easier to spot) at this time.<\/p>

A meteor shower radiant is the point in the sky from which meteors appear to originate. The radiant for the Perseids lies in the constellation Perseus, in the north-eastern sky. It\u2019s a circumpolar constellation when seen from the UK, which means it\u2019s always above the horizon, so it\u2019s a nice constellation to try to recognise.<\/p>

Perseus sits between Cassiopeia above, and the Pleiades below. As the morning approaches, the radiant will rise higher in the sky. For best results, try to take in as much of the skyline as possible into your field of vision.<\/p>

But don\u2019t worry if vegetation or tall buildings obscure your view of Perseus. Although this may be where the meteors appear to originate, they will be visible over the whole sky. The Perseids are fast \u2013 up to 36 miles per second<\/a>, or 129,600 miles per hour! \u2013 so you can expect to see persistent trains in the sky, perhaps even a fireball.<\/p>

Without the interfering light of a full Moon, conditions are favourable. However, it\u2019s worth keeping an eye on an up-to-date weather forecast to avoid being caught in the rain \u2013 which sadly is<\/em> forecast for parts of the UK.<\/p>

You won\u2019t need binoculars or a telescope to view this meteor shower. Pick a dark location where you can see as much of the sky as possible, grab a seat (and snacks, of course) and let your eyes adjust for around 20 minutes. A recliner or sun lounge is ideal. Look roughly two-thirds of the way up the sky, and wait. If you have a tally counter to hand, this is a fantastic way to keep track of the number of meteors you spot.<\/p>

Happy hunting!<\/p>

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