100 flashes possible per hour during peak Perseid meteor shower in August

Prepare yourselves, stargazers. The annual Perseid meteor shower is upon us, promising a spectacular display of celestial fireworks.

The Perseid meteor shower, named for its radiant point in the constellation Perseus, will be visible until August 24.

Particularly, sky watchers can mark their calendars for the night of August 12, leading into the early hours of August 13. This is when the Perseids will be at their peak —  with up to 60 to 100 meteors flashing across the sky each hour.

What’s more interesting, Perseids leave long, colorful trails across the night sky.

According to NASA, the meteor’s speed is predicted to be roughly 37 miles (59 kilometers) per second.

Perseid also creates fireballs

As comets journey around the Sun, they release a trail of particles. When Earth intersects this path, these particles enter our atmosphere, resulting in dazzling meteor showers.

The Perseid meteor shower is a cosmic remnant of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. This icy giant takes a leisurely 133 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. As per NASA, the comet’s nucleus measures 16 miles (26 kilometers) across, making it twice larger than the suspected dinosaur-killer asteroid.

Astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle found the comet in 1862. In 1865, Giovanni Schiaparelli linked the Perseids to Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last visited our cosmic neighborhood in 1992.

In addition to regular meteors, the Perseid shower is known for its stunning fireballs. The NASA website describes fireballs as “larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.”

These originate from larger chunks of comet material and exhibit greater brightness and duration compared to typical meteors.

The best vantage point for viewing the Perseids is in the northern hemisphere. While the shower is most spectacular in the north, observers in the mid-southern latitudes may still enjoy the celestial display.

Luckily, the moon will be cooperative at this year’s peak, setting near midnight and reducing light pollution. This may improve the visibility of even the faintest meteors.

So, keep your eyes peeled not just for regular meteors, but also for fireballs.

Space station astronauts safe

While the Earth gets showered with meteors, are astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) in danger? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding no!

According to Space.com, the orbiting station is shielded by a unique barrier known as the “Whipple bumper,” named after its inventor, Fred Whipple.

This is a multi-layered shield composed of metal sheets and Kevlar.

The shield’s structure is designed to break up incoming meteoroids, mitigating potential harm to the ISS. Therefore, astronauts within the ISS are completely protected from any such impacts.

On the other hand, the satellites in the low-Earth orbit are also largely safe. Due to their limited cross-sectional area, the probability of them striking a specific satellite is low.

With a little preparation and a clear view of the night sky, the Perseid meteor shower promises an unforgettable celestial experience.

Moreover, to fully appreciate the meteor shower , avoid screen time. Blue light hinders your eyes’ ability to adjust to darkness, taking over 10 minutes to recover.