Fireballs will cross the night sky in rare meteor shower that ‘peaks’ this weekend – how to get the best view

SPACE fireworks are about to explode in our night skies as up to 100 meteors streak through Earth's atmosphere per hour.

The dazzling display comes from the Perseid meteor shower - known for its fireballs and long "wakes" of light and color.

Stargazers consider the rare event, which peaks in mid-August, to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to Nasa.

That's because Earth is currently passing through cosmic debris trails originating from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

And it will be at its most showiest this weekend, with about 50 to 100 shooting stars visible per hour.

The incredible event has a spectacular peak overnight from August 11, and into the early hours of August 12, said the American Meteor Society.

WHEN TO SEE THE PERSEIDS

"The Perseids will next peak on Aug 11-12, 2024 night. On this night, the moon will be 44% full," it added.

“You’ll start seeing meteors from the shower around 11:00 pm local time, and the rates will increase until dawn,” said Bill Cooke, head of Nasa’s Meteoroid Environment Office.

“If you miss the night of the 11th, you will also be able to see quite a few on the night of the 12th between those times.”

The phenomenon is caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, said the Royal Museums Greenwich, in London, the UK.

"The meteors will seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. You can use a stargazing app to find the exact location you should look," it advised.

However, many experts have recommended that rather than concentrate on one part of the night sky, it is best just to have as broad a view as possible.

So, you don't need specialist equipment to enjoy this spectacle.

Earth will smash into bits of ice and rock left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed close to Earth in 1992. It will return again in 2125.

Swift-Tuttle is a large comet with a nucleus which is 16 miles (26 km) across.

"That is more than twice the size of the object hypothesized to have led the demise of the dinosaurs," said Nasa.

Scientists keep a close eye on this comet as it’s “one of the largest near-Earth objects,” said Teddy Kareta, a planetary scientist at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

It's also dubbed the Great Comet of 1862, as it was discovered independently that year by American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, of the Harvard Observatory.

Swift - a New York-based farmer and hardware store owner by trade - was one of the greatest comet discoverers during the late 1800s.

Perseid meteor shower: when to see the most shooting stars

The Perseid meteor shower is famous for its fireballs

Peaking in mid-August, it is dubbed the best meteor shower of the year.

It will be most obvious at 04:00 am Universal Time (UTC/GMT) on Monday, August 12, according to the American Meteor Society.

So, in North America, this means it will be most visible this weekend - overnight, on the evening of Sunday, August 11.

Here's when to look up in the night sky:

U.S. timezones:

The men discovered the comet - which has a 133-year orbit - during the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln was president of the US.

But centuries ago it was famous for a grisly and superstitious reason.

CELESTIAL OMEN

It was believed to be linked to the gory death of an early saint, who died on August 10 in A.D. 258 by being grilled over hot coals, reported the National Geographic.

A superstition which was shared "for ages" among Catholics in parts of England and Germany was that the meteor shower was the burning tears of St. Lawrence.

This is due to it being seen on August 10, " this day being the anniversary of his martyrdom," said astronomer Edward Herrick, in the 1839 volume of The American Journal of Science and Arts.

And in 1862, it was seen as a celestial omen during the American Civil War, said Astronomy.com.

This is due to the Perseids being known for their fireballs - large explosions of light and color which can be seen longer than an average meteor streak.

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the debris stream from the Comet Swift-Tuttle.

The Perseids occur when Earth travels through the trail of cosmic rocks and dust left behind this comet.

Pieces of comet debris heat up as they enter the atmosphere.

These burn up in a burst of light - seen as a bright streak across the night sky.

When seeking shooting stars across the night sky, keep an eye out for meteors that seem unusually bright, colorful or long-lasting, advised the Smithsonian magazine.

"These 'fireballs' — which result from larger bits of space debris entering Earth’s atmosphere — are common during the Perseids," it added.

The Perseids are active from July 14 to September 1, and peak around August 11-12, 2024.

At its peak, stargazers could see up to 100 meteors per hour, and some fireballs.

Typical Perseid meteoroids move at 133,200 mph (214,365 kph).

These fireballs come from larger particles of the comet.

When Earth passes through the comet's debris trails, bits - some as small as a grain of sand - collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.

A typical Perseid meteor enters the atmosphere while traveling at speeds of up about 133,200 mph.

Its projected velocity is 37 miles per second (59 km), said the American Meteor Society.

BURNING HOT

The Perseids are extraordinarily hot, with temperatures soaring to more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 Celsius).

They begin to burn up about 60 miles (100 km) above Earth's surface, said Space.com.

Few are likely to make it down to the ground and become meteorites.

The meteor shower is just one of many stargazing events to enjoy in 2024.

For example, there are three supermoons gracing the night sky on September 18, October 17, and November 15.