Some Persiders of 2019, as seen from Macedonia.
Spaceweather.com/Stojan Stojanovski
It is early August, which means that Perseid’s annual Meteeidouche is active, and will run until 24 August. The Perseids are one of the best, brightest batches of shooting stars, and it sure feels like we could use them now more than ever to add a little wonder and distraction in these nice dark times we live in.
This famous shower comes around the Earth each time this time through a waste cloud left by the giant comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle. Pieces of dust, pebbles and other cosmic detritus pop up in our atmosphere, burning up in short, bright streaks and even the occasional full-blown fireball stretching across the night sky.
Technically, the Perseids 2020 peaked on the evening of Tuesday, August 11th and tomorrow of Wednesday, August 12th, but that does not mean that the show is over. Far from it, actually.
The popularity of the shower is a combination of the fact that it is one of the strongest, with a maximum of 100 visible meteors per hour on average, and it coincides with hot summer nights in the northern hemisphere. The declining moon will probably wash away many otherwise visible meteors, but that still leaves a lot to be desired which should be easy to see if you do a little planning.
See the Perseid meteorites make a celestial scene worldwide
See all photos
In general, a good strategy to go out to search for is the Perseids as late in the evening as possible, but still for monthly uprising at your location. (You can search for sun and sunrise for your location with a site like TimeandDate.com.)
You can also try to block the moon by placing yourself next to a building, tree or something else that holds some of that moonlight out of your retinas.
The moon will disappear completely after mid-month, and although the Perseids will be past their prime, they will still be active and visible. This half-peak shower with completely dark skies could be almost the same as a full peak with a bright moon, so you do not think have to go out on the picnic night to catch it.
Once you have decided on the perfect time and a place with minimal light interference and a wide view of the sky, just lie back, let your eyes adjust and relax. Pillows, blankets, lounge chairs and soft drinks provide the ideal experience. It can take about 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness, so be sure to be patient. If you follow all my advice, you are only guaranteed to see a meteor.
It does not really matter where in the sky you look, as long as you have a wide view. That said, the Perseids will appear to radiate from the constellation of Perseus, the Hero. If you want to practice being an advanced meteor spotter, look for Perseus and try to focus there while you watch. Then just try to look up without focusing anywhere. See if you notice a difference. We still have to deal with the unpredictability of nature, so results will differ.
That it’s probably the best part of the Perseids every year are the beautiful photos we get from talented astrophotographers who spend long nights outside.
As always, if you find yourself conceiving a beauty, please share it with me on Twitter or Instagram @EricCMack.
