In a dark sky lit with stars a streak of bright light appears and is gone in one inspired breath. Then, a brushstroke with a long and lasting trail carries our spirit on a sublime ride. A meteor is light produced by meteoroids—bits of asteroids or comets—burning up due to friction upon entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, travelling at 37 miles per second, according to NASA. By extension, meteors—or shooting stars—are trails of incandescent air created by luminescent rocks. The largest, brightest meteors are fireballs or Earth grazers—both possible Perseid events. A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from outer space that lands on Earth, having survived entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Of the predictable, annual meteor showers, the warm-weather Perseid meteor shower is the most celebrated of the year. From late July until September 1, Perseids may be seen all night, from about 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., as Earth orbits through the dusty, icy rubble stream left by comet Swift-Tuttle. In modern times, within a few days of each other, two American astronomers independently discovered the comet that bears their names: Lewis Swift on July 16, 1862, and Horace Parnell Tuttle on July 19. Their namesake—last visible with binoculars in 1992—is forecast to appear again in 2125 as a naked-eye object for the eyes of those who are babies today.
Named for the constellation Perseus, from which the falling stars seem to originate if traced back from any place in the sky, Perseus is known as the shower’s radiant. Perseus rises above the northeast horizon around 10:45 p.m., beneath the easy-to-spot “W” star pattern that is Cassiopeia the Queen. Under dark skies—in the absence of artificial lights and other pollutants—the constellation Perseus is a beautiful, dancing figure, fitting a mythic Greek hero.
The Perseids are predicted to peak overnight on Saturday, August 12 into the very early morning of Sunday, August 13, with optimum viewing from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. In dark sky locations, meteor scientists estimate 80 shooting stars will be visible per hour. Earth grazers and fireballs are bright enough to be seen in light-polluted areas. The timeframe of heightened Perseid activity in Earth’s skies is from dawn on Friday, August 11 through Monday, August 14.
Bear in mind that true darkness over the August 6 weekend is from about 9:50 p.m. until about 4 a.m. Review the caption on the second illustration, StarryNight7 sky view, above, and the chart, below, for details.
