The Perseid meteor shower is the brightest astronomical event of the outgoing summer of 2018. Why it is worth going out on the night of August 12-13 - we will tell. What you need to know in order not to see this most beautiful meteor shower and get the maximum aesthetic pleasure from contemplating the beautiful?
What are the Perseids and how to "catch" them?
The Perseid meteor shower is an annual phenomenon when the Earth passes through the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which is part of the constellation Perseus. In fact, what we call starfall is the debris from this comet, dust particles ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pea. In contact with the Earth's atmosphere, they burn out, leaving behind bright flashes and streaks in the sky. At least one Perseid can be seen per minute.
When and how much can you "trap" the Perseids?
The Perseid meteor shower shows its peak activity to the sky on the night of August 12-13, that is, on Monday night. It will be visible throughout Russia, as well as on the east coast of the United States. It will be possible to see individual Perseids from 11.00 pm until dawn. In August 2018, the best view is favored by the new moon on August 11, so the sky will be almost moonless on August 13. This means that the stream will be visible in the night sky better than last year.
How not to miss a single Perseid?
Finding the source of the Perseid meteor shower in the sky will not be a problem. You need to look at the northern part of the sky. Let the North Star serve as your guide. From it are two stars in a straight line, to the right of the constellation Cassiopeia, which is in the shape of the letter "W". From Cassiopeia down to the first star of Perseus from Cassiopeia - Mirfak. But it is better to look to the side in the south or southwest, since the meteors are more intense there.
Recommendations for viewing: a minimum set for admiring nature consists of a warm jacket, beach blanket, mosquito spray. Optionally, a thermos with tea. In fact, the only thing you need to view is your eyes, memory and wish list. It is also worth considering that far from city lighting, the sky can be seen better. In this case, before viewing, you should not look at bright light and it is better to protect your eyes. It is also not recommended to sharply look away from one star to another, as in the dark a bright point may seem like a meteor.
Shooting the Perseids
Of course, many want to get a "memory photo", their own and real. It is also not difficult to do this. You just need to follow some manipulations, while you can do without a tripod. It is enough to put the camera on the mat with the lens up, preferably at the zenith. Change its location as you shoot to find the best view.
Tonight, from the twelfth to the thirteenth of August, it is imperative to go outside and look at the sky, because only once a year we can observe a wonderful astronomical phenomenon - the Perseid meteor shower. This is the most intense “star shower” that can only be seen, and you can’t miss it: not only does the starfall itself look enchanting, you can also make dozens of cherished wishes.
What is starfall, and do we really see how numerous stars “die”? We hasten to upset or please you: this is not entirely true. It's just that our planet is now passing through the orbit of the famous comet Swift-Tuttle, and it, in turn, is entering the constellation Perseus. And those “shooting stars” that we have the good fortune to observe are particles of this cosmic body burning in the atmosphere. They are very small in size: it happens that grains of sand or tiny pebbles.
At the peak of the meteor shower, you can see up to a hundred of these grains of sand burning in the atmosphere, which we call “shooting stars”. Most of all fiery flashes in the sky we will see today, on the night of the twelfth to the thirteenth of August. the Perseid meteor shower can be observed in the following days, however, today will be its beautiful culmination.
Already today, starting from eleven in the evening and right up to dawn, you can admire the astronomical phenomenon of the Perseid starfall, seeing all its delights with the naked eye. In addition, now the new moon favors us: the sky will be dark, moonless, and the stars will be visible a hundred times better. Starfall can be viewed throughout Russia, as well as other European countries, and in the United States of America.
In order not to be mistaken, immediately pay attention to the northern part of the sky, and the best landmark is the North Star. From it are two stars in a straight line, to the right of the constellation Cassiopeia, which is in the shape of the letter "W". From Cassiopeia down to the first star of Perseus from Cassiopeia - Mirfak. But it is better to look to the side in the south or southwest, since the meteors are more intense there.
We recommend that you settle down with all the amenities, while remembering that it is best to admire the stars in nature, away from city lights. Arm yourself with insect spray, warm blankets, a thermos of tea, good company - and go!
Is it true that the wishes that we make on a shooting star come true? In fact, no one will give you the answer to this question, but there are several positive aspects in this process that will really help your hidden aspirations come true. Firstly, in order to quickly make a wish while a star is falling, you need to at least formulate it. The correct wording is half the success, so you will think about the innermost a hundred times, and the path to achievement may be found faster than you expect.
Secondly, you will start thinking about your desires even more, which will also lead to a mechanical search for a way out of the situation. Perhaps it is this approach that will lead to success for many more than just hoping for the stars? However, there will definitely not be any side effects from making a wish on a shooting star, and there is a chance that it will come true.
Our ancestors firmly believed that what was planned was being carried out, and they may have been right in some way, the Ros-Register portal reports. Let's follow their example and guess the most secret during the Perseid meteor shower! Remember that you can’t tell anyone about the conceived until it is fulfilled. And it is best to whisper the cherished alone, looking at the shooting star.
- Use a wide angle lens;
- Open the aperture to capture more meteors. The best option is -f / 2, the parameter has a larger field of view;
- Use lens or fisheye option;
- Set your shutter speed to 30 seconds;
- Use burst shooting and auto mode to avoid missing meteors;
- Set the ISO value to 1600.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered the record holder for the number of fireballs - this is how these brightest meteors are also called. Every hour on the night of August 12-13, a hundred or even more stars will fly in the sky - a truly bewitching sight. Especially in such ideal conditions.
But those who want to enjoy the starfall from the city will not be left without their portion of meteors either. True, only the brightest meteors will remain visible in the illuminated sky.
The most spectacular event of the summer - the Perseid meteor shower - the Russians can watch in all its glory this weekend. Shooting stars activity peaks on the night of August 12-13 - don't forget to make a wish, because in one hour you can watch up to a hundred meteors burning in the sky.
This year, the Perseid stream is not too active, because sometimes it reaches three hundred meteors per hour, but it's still worth seeing the spectacle. Romance, aesthetics, in the end, also scientific knowledge and unforgettable emotions - it would be a stupid mistake to miss the event.
Many look at the falling stars philosophically, others feel the mystical influence of an astronomical phenomenon - be that as it may, but there is a logical explanation for the stream, although some do not pay attention to it. Once a year, in the course of its movement, our planet passes through the dust trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, located in the constellation Penrseid. In the sky, in fact, we do not observe shooting stars, but small particles of the tail of a comet, which, breaking off, burn out before reaching the Earth.
Where is the best place to watch the Perseid meteor shower in 2018 and what time
Starfall is visible from anywhere in our country. The main thing that astronomers advise is to leave or drive away from city lights in order to enjoy the action in full force. The moon will not interfere with viewing this summer - the meteor shower fell on the new moon, and therefore the satellite disk will not block your view.
The radiant of the Perseid stream is in the constellation Perseus, it is easy to find it in the sky to the right of Ursa Major, below the constellation Cassiopeia - the same letter W in the sky.
Starfall begins immediately with the advent of darkness, but if you want to see those very hundred stars per hour, then it is better not to sleep almost all night - the peak of starfall activity begins at 3 am and lasts until 5 am (unless, of course, dawn does not bother you).
Astronomers advise choosing a place for yourself so that the eastern or southern side of the horizon is clearly visible. A rug is spread on the ground - it is better to watch starfall in a horizontal position. If you want to make a wish, it is better to be alone or with the closest person (this is already the advice of astrologers). Try to literally absorb the energy of falling meteors and deeply believe that they are able to fulfill what you want.
Live broadcast of the Perseid meteor shower will be available on the Web
If you don’t have the opportunity to go on a romantic walk, you can also watch the starfall on the Web. The effect, of course, is not the same, but on the video you can definitely not miss a single shooting star.
Starfall videos are provided to a wide audience, both ordinary users who want to share their emotions with millions, and scientific stations that also do not ignore an important astronomical phenomenon.
Perseid Starfall August 12 watch online
The influence of starfall on the fate and well-being of a person - what to look for
The Perseid meteor shower will continue until August 20 inclusive - just this weekend turned out to be the most active. The impact of the meteor shower will be felt until the end of next week. No, it does not cause physical ailments, unlike magnetic storms and solar eclipses. But it makes a whole range of controversial emotions rage.
Perseus symbolizes the struggle between light and dark, and therefore you should not expect calm and stability during “his” meteor shower. You will be thrown from one decision to another, and most importantly - each will seem right. You can choose a really right path only based on your desires and feelings - that is, if there is even a drop of any doubt, immediately abandon the chosen path and look for the next one.
At this time, many will want to fight for justice, protect the weak, sort things out - the main thing is to do everything very carefully, finding out the motives of people and the reasons for their actions to the smallest detail, because often during the period of Perseus's power, you can misunderstand events or words and commit rash actions.
Try to be closer to your relatives, forgive people for their weaknesses, be kinder and more merciful - then the dark side will definitely not allow you to turn the path of your life in a completely wrong direction in a short time.
The mesmerizing beauty of the Perseid meteor shower
On the night of August 12-13 in the sky over Eastern Europe it will be possible to observe such a natural phenomenon as the Perseid meteor shower, the Telegraph reports. In particular, up to 60 meteorites per hour can be seen in the sky of Latvia. Given that there will be a full moon, only the brightest "shooting stars" can be seen from the earth.
The Perseid meteor shower - the most famous of all, it would be more correct to say, meteor showers, is formed by the remnants of the cometary "tail" of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year it appears in August from the direction of the constellation Perseus, which is why it got its name. The comet itself approaches the Earth only once every 135 years, but the Earth passes through its tail every year. The comet, approaching the Sun, heats up, scattering small particles of ice and dust in interplanetary space, which, under the influence of the solar wind, move from the center of the solar system.
A meteoroid is a piece of rock or an accumulation of dust in outer space. The surface of the Earth is constantly bombarded by celestial bodies of various sizes. When particles enter the Earth's atmosphere, they heat up and burn or evaporate, leaving behind a bright trail - a meteor. A meteor is a light phenomenon that occurs at an altitude of 80 km to 130 km from the Earth's surface when particles - meteoroids - invade the earth's atmosphere.
The comet's tail is made up of tiny particles of ice, dust and rock that were ejected into interplanetary space from the comet's nucleus. When the Earth, on its way around the Sun, encounters these particles, they penetrate the atmosphere at a speed of over 150,000 km/h (the average speed of the Perseids is 210,000 km/h). They draw either straight solid or broken lines, or flash in the form of a string, and sometimes even in the form of one or more fireballs.
In the northern hemisphere, they can be observed starting on July 23, when one meteor flies by an hour or more. Over the next three weeks, their number gradually increases. At the beginning of August you can see 5 meteors per hour and about 15 per hour by August 10th. Their number increases sharply to 50-80 meteors per hour on the night of August 12-13 and then quickly decreases to 10 per hour by August 15th. The last night for this meteor shower is usually August 22-24, when you can see about 1 meteor per hour.
There are other less intense meteor showers that appear at the same time as the Perseids, but the Perseids usually move through the sky much faster than meteors from other showers. In fact, the Perseids are the fastest meteor shower we can see every year.
It is best to observe the "star rain" in a dimly lit place, with a good view of the sky.
Where you can see the Perseids
“We expect that the peak of activity - about 100 meteors per hour - will be reached on August 12-13. Unfortunately, most of these meteors will not be visible due to the bright light of the moon, which will enter the full moon phase on August 13, ”the forecast of the International Meteor Organization says.
Currently, the activity of the stream is slowly growing - as of August 9, it was about 20 meteors per hour. “It builds up until about the 16th, and then drops sharply in two days, almost to zero. After the 18th, there will be almost no left, ”said Alexander Bagrov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INASAN), to RIA Novosti.
“The moon will interfere, but we will still see the brightest meteors. The main thing when you see a shooting star is to have time to make a wish, ”said the scientist.
Meteors are created when microscopic particles enter the atmosphere and burn up. Star showers are usually associated with the passage of the Earth through the streams of particles that comets leave behind.
Recall that the last time the inhabitants of the planet could observe the strongest meteor shower was on the night of December 14-15, when our planet passed through the strongest meteor shower of the Geminids.
The Perseids are the most famous of all meteor showers.
This meteor shower is named the Perseids because it appears to be raining from the constellation Perseus. An observer in the Northern Hemisphere may begin to see Perseid meteors around July 23, when approximately one meteor is seen every hour. Over the next three weeks, there is a gradual increase in their frequency. Five Perseids per hour in early August and on August 10, the frequency of the Perseid star shower rises rapidly to a maximum of 50-80 meteors per hour by the night of August 12/13, and then rapidly declines to about 10 meteors per hour on August 15. The last night that rain from this meteor shower is still visible is August 22, when the observer can see the Perseids every hour or so.
For observers in the southern hemisphere, the Perseid radiant never rises above the horizon, greatly reducing the number of Perseid meteors you are likely to see. However, in the southern hemisphere at night you can see a maximum of 10-15 meteors per hour coming from the northern horizon.
There are other, weaker meteor showers in August along with the Perseids, but the Perseids usually move through the sky much faster than meteors from other showers. If you're not sure where the constellation Perseus is in the sky, this drawing will help you find them in the Northern Hemisphere:
Location of the Perseids For observers of the Northern Hemisphere
This view is in mid-northern latitudes, around 2:00 am local time around August 12-13. The red line at the bottom of the image represents the horizon line. (Image created with SkyChart III and Adobe Photoshop).
The comet Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862, is responsible for the Perseid meteor shower. It generates meteors, which, from the point of view of an earthly observer, fly from a point (radiant) in the constellation Perseus, from which the meteor shower got its name. This is one of the most powerful streams, which in the 1990s generated a real stellar shower, when more than 400 meteors could be counted in an hour.
In recent years, the intensity of the Perseids has somewhat decreased, but the flow remains one of the leaders in terms of power. IMO specialists predict that this year the number of meteors during the maximum period will be about 100 per hour.
Tonight, from the twelfth to the thirteenth of August, it is imperative to go outside and look at the sky, because only once a year we can observe a wonderful astronomical phenomenon - the Perseid meteor shower. This is the most intense “star shower” that can only be seen, and you can’t miss it: not only does the starfall itself look enchanting, you can also make dozens of cherished wishes.
What is starfall, and do we really see how numerous stars “die”? We hasten to upset or please you: this is not entirely true. It's just that our planet is now passing through the orbit of the famous comet Swift-Tuttle, and it, in turn, is entering the constellation Perseus. And those “shooting stars” that we have the good fortune to observe are particles of this cosmic body burning in the atmosphere. They are very small in size: it happens that grains of sand or tiny pebbles.
At the peak of the meteor shower, you can see up to a hundred of these grains of sand burning in the atmosphere, which we call “shooting stars”. Most of all fiery flashes in the sky we will see today, on the night of the twelfth to the thirteenth of August. the Perseid meteor shower can be observed in the following days, however, today will be its beautiful culmination.
Where can you watch the Perseid meteor shower?
Already today, starting from eleven in the evening and right up to dawn, you can admire the astronomical phenomenon of the Perseid starfall, seeing all its delights with the naked eye. In addition, now the new moon favors us: the sky will be dark, moonless, and the stars will be visible a hundred times better. Starfall can be viewed throughout Russia, as well as other European countries, and in the United States of America.
In order not to be mistaken, immediately pay attention to the northern part of the sky, and the best landmark is the North Star. There are two stars from it in a straight line, to the right to the constellation Cassiopeia, which is in the shape of the letter "W" .. But it is better to look to the side in the south or southwest, since the meteors are more intense there.
We recommend that you settle down with all the amenities, while remembering that it is best to admire the stars in nature, away from city lights. Arm yourself with insect spray, warm blankets, a thermos of tea, good company - and go!
How to guess doing on a shooting star?
Is it true that the wishes that we make on a shooting star come true? In fact, no one will give you the answer to this question, but there are several positive aspects in this process that will really help your hidden aspirations come true. Firstly, in order to quickly make a wish while a star is falling, you need to at least formulate it. The correct wording is half the success, so you will think about the innermost a hundred times, and the path to achievement may be found faster than you expect.
Secondly, you will start thinking about your desires even more, which will also lead to a mechanical search for a way out of the situation. Perhaps it is this approach that will lead to success for many more than just hoping for the stars? However, there will definitely not be any side effects from making a wish on a shooting star, and there is a chance that it will come true.
Our ancestors firmly believed that what was conceived was being carried out, and they may have been right in some way. Let's follow their example and guess the most secret during the Perseid meteor shower! Remember that you can’t tell anyone about the conceived until it is fulfilled. And it is best to whisper the cherished alone, looking at the shooting star.
What is the best way to photograph the Perseid meteor shower?
- Use a wide angle lens;
- Open the aperture to capture more meteors. The best option is -f / 2, the parameter has a larger field of view;
- Use lens or fisheye option;
- Set your shutter speed to 30 seconds;
- Use burst shooting and auto mode to avoid missing meteors;
- Set the ISO value to 1600.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered the record holder for the number of fireballs - this is how these brightest meteors are also called. Every hour on the night of August 12-13, a hundred or even more stars will fly in the sky - a truly bewitching sight. Especially in such ideal conditions.
But those who want to enjoy the starfall from the city will not be left without their portion of meteors either. True, only the brightest meteors will remain visible in the illuminated sky.
