One of the biggest meteor showers is about to start! Get ready for the Perseids Meteor Shower this 2021 by checking out two online websites where you can watch the event live anywhere in the world.
If you missed out on the Strawberry Moon, Ring of Fire Eclipse, and Mars kissing Venus, then read carefully: the Perseids is a meteor shower that happens every July 14 to August 24. At its peak, 50 to 100 meteors per hour could be seen in the night sky.
Don't miss out on this exciting event and ready your cameras!
NASA and Perseids
NASA described Perseids as the best meteor shower of the year. Perseids have "very fast and bright meteors" that frequently leave long "wakes" of light and color behind them. The event often paints Earth's atmosphere in a celestial landscape.
Perseids is also notable for its Fireballs. Fireballs are larger explosions of light that can reach apparent magnitudes greater than -3. Fireballs shine brighter and last longer than an average meteor streak in the sky. NASA posted a video clip of a Fireball captured on April 13.
Perseids and these Fireballs are pieces of space debris from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The comet has a nucleus of 16 miles across, which is almost twice the size of the object that scientists hypothesized to have wiped out dinosaurs. A comet of this size would obviously bring fascinating space activities.
Lastly, the meteor shower radiant, which is the point where Perseids would appear from, is the constellation Perseus (this was how the meteor shower got its name "Perseids"). Skywatchers can search for the constellation to determine the direction of the meteor shower.
How to Watch Perseids Meteor Shower 2021
Perseids is a big event where you can see most of the meteor showers without the help of special equipment or knowledge. CBS News suggested a few viewing tips you could use to improve the experience.
- Search for a place with little light exposure. Street lights from the urban city could disturb the night sky's visibility. Try heading for the mountains or the beachside.
- Pick a place with a large view of the sky, like an open field or roof.
- Lie flat on your back. You might need some time to adjust and try taking in as much sky as you could possibly see.
- Perseids appear during the dark, around 9 PM or 10 PM local time.
- You can see more meteors during pre-dawn hours.
- Perseids is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere,
Watch the Cosmic Event Anywhere in the World
If you live in the city or do not have the means to watch the night sky, then don't worry. You can watch this fantastic comic event online! NASA provides live streams for the event on its official Facebook page. You could also sign up for the Virtual Telescope Project services, where they let you access a powerful set of robotic telescopes for sky viewing.
The Perseids is an event that only happens once a year. Capture this special moment on your smartphone, Apple or Android, by following the tips listed in this article.
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