2023-08-14 15:19:00
On the night from Saturday to Sunday on the Tempelhof field in Berlin – a unique park area on the territory of the former airport – it was possible to observe the most powerful meteor shower this year. For the convenience of visitors, the organizers of the “Long Night of Astronomy” set up sun loungers here, none of which remained empty. The Perseid meteor showers are believed to have been the most active this weekend, with at least one shooting star visible every minute, according to the dpa news agency.
To fully enjoy this bewitching natural game, it is recommended to go outside the city, to a large field, away from light sources. For those who do not have such an opportunity, special observation platforms were organized in many German cities, and in some places, such as, for example, on the lawn in front of the University of Bonn, small portable planetariums or telescopes were even installed and thematic lectures were held. In principle, you can watch shooting stars throughout August, but experts assure that the nights from August 12 to 24 are very special.
Starfall: Exposing the Magic
It is better to watch the city for starfall. This photo was taken on the outskirts of NeumünsterPhoto: Marco A. Ludwig/dpa/picture alliance
Starfall is mesmerizing and seems to be something magical. But after decades of research in this area, there is not so much mystery left in this phenomenon.
What is a shooting star? Speaking in scientific terms, this is nothing more than a meteor – a celestial body that penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up at the same time, which we see with the naked eye. “Stars” that are not completely burned out and fall to the ground are called meteorites.
Meteors, including the so-called Perseids, arise, among other things, from cosmic dust particles originating from comets or asteroids. And here there is still a bit of magic left: the origin of some meteor showers is still not clear. However, with the Perseids, everything is pretty clear: the dust particles from which they are formed come from comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle. Its core has a diameter of about 26 kilometers – almost twice the size of the object that is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. In terms of brightness, the ancestor of the Perseid meteor shower is comparable to the North Star and has a rather long period of revolution around the sun – about 133 years. Rotating in its orbit, it constantly leaves behind particles, which then turn into cosmic dust.
Shooting stars over the Devil’s Wall rock formation in the Harz National ParkPhoto: Stephan Schulz/dpa-Zentralbild/picture alliance
Why are the Perseids only visible in August?
Once a year, in mid-August, the Earth’s orbit and the dust cloud from Comet Swift-Tuttle intersect. As a result, many cosmic particles enter the earth’s atmosphere, while they reach speeds of up to 59 kilometers per second. NASA estimates that up to 100 burning dots per hour can be seen during the Perseid meteor shower.
It is interesting to note that they are perceived from the ground in two different colors. One is slightly greenish: this glow occurs when air particles are heated due to friction with dust particles. Another, reddish color, is formed during the combustion of particles. Depending on their size, some meteors look especially bright and last a long time in the sky. Experts call them “fireball”.
Star showers are not only in summer
Greenish Perseids among windmill bulbs. Photo taken in the Eifel National ParkPhoto: Henning Kaiser/dpa/picture alliance
If you follow the light trails left in the sky from shooting stars, it turns out that they all intersect at one point. This apparent point of origin of a meteor shower is called the radiant. The Perseid radiant is in the constellation Perseus, hence their name. However, this constellation and the meteor shower have no real connection, as this is not the true origin of the star shower.
The Perseids are perhaps the most famous of the annual meteor showers. Perhaps it has gained particular popularity due to the fact that in mid-August, during this warm summer month in the Northern Hemisphere, it is especially easy and pleasant to watch the stars. At the same time, there are other equally interesting starfalls.
The Leonid meteor shower occurs annually from November 14 to 21. The radiant of this stream is in the constellation Leo, but it is not as abundant as the Perseids – only 15 shooting stars per hour. Or the Geminid meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation of Gemini, which is visible in mid-December. In 2011, up to 200 meteors per hour were recorded, which is twice as much as during the August meteor showers. However, during the autumn and winter months, it is still not so pleasant to spend nights under the open sky, admiring the stars.
See also:
Perseids in the sky over Germany (photo)
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