The annual Perseid meteor shower is set to reach its peak on August 12 and 13, according to NASA. This year’s event coincides with a rare celestial alignment featuring a total solar eclipse occurring on Wednesday, according to CNN. The total solar eclipse will be visible from Spain, a small part of Portugal, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia, marking the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe in 27 years, according to the Boston Globe.
Rare Alignment of Perseid Meteor Shower Peak and Total Solar Eclipse
In locations where the eclipse occurs around sunset, observers may be able to see Perseid meteors during totality, when the moon fully blocks the sun’s light and temporarily darkens the skies, according to NBC News.
Understanding the Perseid Meteor Shower and Its Origins
The Perseids are considered by NASA to be the best meteor shower of the year, Cbsnews. Observations of the meteor shower date back over 2,000 years, Cbsnews. The shooting stars are debris particles from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball with a nucleus 16 miles wide that was first discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, according to the Boston Globe.
The comet orbits the sun every 133 years and is not scheduled for a return visit until 2125, Cbsnews. As Earth plows through the trail of dust, rock, and ice debris left behind by the comet, tiny particles—often no larger than grains of sand—slam into the atmosphere at speeds exceeding 130,000 mph, according to the Boston Globe. The resulting friction causes them to burn up high above the ground, creating bright streaks of light, according to the Boston Globe. The Perseids are particularly famous for producing brilliant fireballs, which are exceptionally bright meteors that leave glowing, colorful smoke trails of vaporized dust particles behind them, Cbsnews and according to CNN.
Viewing Conditions and Optimal Times
Sky-gazers will benefit from favorable lunar conditions this year, as the moon will be in its new moon phase during the peak, Cbsnews. With the moon’s illuminated side facing the sun and its night side facing Earth, bright moonlight will not flood the sky, allowing observers to see significantly more meteors, according to NBC News.
Under ideal conditions with clear weather and dark skies, the Perseids can produce anywhere from 50 to 100 meteors per hour, Cbsnews and according to NBC News. Observers in rural locations across the northern United States may see roughly 30 to 50 meteors per hour, while those in urban locations may spot 15 to 25, according to CNN.
For viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, the meteor shower is best viewed during the predawn hours on Thursday, August 13, though meteors can be seen starting as early as 10 p.m. the night before, Cbsnews. The maximum meteor activity is expected to peak on Thursday at 10:53 a.m. ET, according to EarthSky via CNN. In Washington state, the Perseids are estimated to be visible starting at 8 p.m. PDT on Wednesday until Thursday morning at 6 a.m. PDT, according to the Kitsap Sun. Conversely, for most places in the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant—the point in the sky from which the shooting stars appear to originate—will not rise above the horizon, making them difficult to observe, according to NBC News.
Tips for Watching and Virtual Broadcasts
Astronomers and space agencies recommend escaping city lights and artificial light pollution by traveling to rural areas, dark sky locations, golf courses, large parks, or farmland to maximize visibility, Cbsnews, according to the Boston Globe, and according to the Kitsap Sun. No telescopes or binoculars are required; viewers need only a comfortable chair, a blanket, or a sleeping bag, according to the Boston Globe and according to the Kitsap Sun.
NASA recommends giving your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, lying flat on your back, looking up, and patiently waiting, according to NBC News and according to the Kitsap Sun. Experts advise picking a patch of sky to focus on and avoiding looking at cell phones, as meteors can appear in any part of the sky, Cbsnews and according to the Kitsap Sun.
For those unable to view the skies outdoors, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, plans to host a virtual watch party on YouTube beginning at 12 a.m.
Keep reading
