On July 17, Earth will begin its annual journey through the debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As a result, the dust and ice grains left by the comet will collide with Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in shooting stars. For a start, shooting stars will be few and far between, but as our planet travels through the rubble, meteor showers will become more common.
This meteor shower is known as the Perseid meteor shower and lasts until August 24.
According to astronomers, the shooting star display will be in full swing on August 12-13.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory said: “In 2020, the Perseid meteor shower will be active between July 17 and August 24, and the number of meteors will increase every night until it peaks in mid-August, after from which it will decrease.
“This year the peak falls on the night of the 12th and before dawn on August 13th.
“Observers can be vigilant in the shower wherever they are, but there are certain types of places that will increase their chances of detecting meteorites.”
“Plan ahead and check the weather forecast. If inclement weather is likely, find a different place or go out on a different day.
“The days before the peak are usually better than the days after.”
The rain we see from Earth are tiny chunks of ice and dust, which are generally no bigger than a pea, hitting Earth’s atmosphere at a staggering 134,000 mph.
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Saint Lawrence, the patron saint of cooks, was tortured and martyred by the Romans in 258 AD during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian along with many other members of the Roman clergy.
During his torture, St Lawrence was said to have been burned on a grill and, despite the extreme pain he was enduring, he allegedly joked: “Turn me around, I’m done on this side!”
When he was executed on August 10, many Catholics associate the Perseid meteor shower with Saint Lawrence and call the shooting stars the “Saint Lawrence tears,” since they occur at the same time each year.
The astronomy website Slooh said: “In medieval Europe, the Perseids were called the ‘Tears of Saint Lawrence’ because they occur near the anniversary of the death of Laurentius, a Christian deacon who was martyred by the Roman emperor Valerian in the year 258 AD. “
