The Perseid meteor shower is back and is expected to bring a spectacular display in the night sky. Astronomers predict that the event will be the most impressive of the year, with up to 100 meteors per hour being observed. It will peak on August 13 globally, including India, but bad weather conditions may make it less enjoyable.
How can one witness the Perseid meteor shower?
In case the weather is not favorable in your area, you can still watch the meteor shower from your home for free. The Virtual Telescope Project has set up a live stream on YouTube for its global audience to watch.
Concerning the Perseid meteor shower.
The Perseid meteor shower is caused by Earth’s movement through the debris of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle first detected a Comet with X-ray technology in 1862, but it was Giovanni Schiaparelli who confirmed this theory in 1900.
Every year, the Earth orbits the Sun as a result of debris left behind by the comet. As this debris interacts with the atmosphere of the planet, it creates bright bursts of colourful light and fireballs that glow in the night sky.