We are gaining advent towards the year 2020. Avid stargazers would be once again anticipating the Perseid meteor shower. It could very well be an amazing phenomenon, one that is worth the wait.
Debris from the Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle
Every year, many people look forward to this stargazing and meteor shower event. The event is usually full of a huge number of shooting stars. Space.com reported that the meteor shower would peak during the early morning hours of August 12. You could still catch sight of shooting stars from this meteor shower by looking at the night sky.
It is best to look in the North direction while doing so. The Perseid meteor shower is debris from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. We have been seeing shooting stars from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle year after year. The Perseid meteor shower was named from the constellation Perseus from which it seems to originate.
The Moon Will Not Get in the Way This Year
NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke said to Space.com last year that the moonlight would spoil most of the show. A bright full moon, in fact, outshone the spectacle of the Perseid meteor shower last year. It made looking for the shooting stars a bit tricky for sky-watchers, although the Perseid is rich in bright meteors.
However, this year, the moon will not be much of a concern. Still, its brightness could have a small effect on one's ability to distinguish the Perseid shooting stars correctly.
The Best Time to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower
The few hours before dawn is the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower. You might want to go to the darkest possible location to speculate as much night sky as you can. The meteors will peak on August 12 and visible on the 11th and 13th of the same month. You ought to be able to still watch some meteors from midnight to dawn on any morning of the week before or after the 12th of August.
To best see the meteors, one should look in the direction of North, while stargazers located in the southern latitudes can turn to the Northeast to watch more of the shooting stars. Also, stargazers might catch sight of a few stray meteors from the Delta Aquariid meteor shower.
The Perseid meteor shower makes for a delightful and interesting experience this year. People must have seen quite a few shooting stars and cannot wait for the meteor shower to peak.
