Meteor showers are a wonderful show. A more than perfect excuse to look at the sky in the company of loved ones and enjoy a phenomenon that shows us, once again, that apart from living on a beautiful planet, we are privileged to be able to contemplate part of the beauty of the Milky Way.
Some of the most anticipated are Perseids, also known by the name of Tears of San Lorenzo, named for the proximity of the San Lorenzo festival, which is celebrated on August 10. Are you ready to see up to 100 meteors per hour? No? Well, here are a few tips to make that night (or nights 😉) unforgettable.
What are the Perseids?
The Perseids is a falling star shower (or meteor shower) visible each year around mid-late August. The particles that cause them are produced by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which measures 26km in diameter and orbits at 60km / s.
Why do they occur every year around the same dates? As well. As we know, the planet Earth rotates on itself but also around the Sun. This last movement is called translation. Due to this annual spin, the Earth encounters the same accumulation of particles that make up the Perseids.
How to enjoy them to the fullest?
The Perseids 2017 will take place from July 13 to August 26, however, the best days to see them in Europe will be from August 11 to 13. The problem is that this year the moon will not allow us to contemplate them as we really would like, since for the key night (August 11) it will be at 72%.
Still, we cannot forget that while the moon is a very bright satellite, the Perseids are too. So despite everything we recommend that get as far away as possible from light pollution, take a chair (or better, a lounger or towel), and start watching the sky from 19:XNUMX p.m..
Have a good »hunt» 😉.