Perseid picnic: How to experience the shooting star night!

Perseid picnic: How to experience the shooting star night!

The first days of August make every stargazer's heart beat faster. Because it's time for the Perseids! Every August these meteors conjure up a fascinating spectacle in the sky. This year they peaked on the night of August 12th and 13th, with an incredible number of up to 100 shooting stars per hour. These meteorological highlights have been active since July 17th and will be visible until August 24th, as mainpost.de reports.

On these nights it is best to be rewarded with a view of the constellation Perseus around 10:30 p.m. local time. This is where the Perseid radiant lies, from which the meteor showers appear to originate. This can vary greatly depending on the location - the meteors appear everywhere in the sky. However, visibility is influenced by the phase of the moon, as the waning gibbous moon shines at 90 percent brightness and can affect the view of the fainter meteors, according to information from starwalk.space.

Preparing for the shooting stars

If you don't want to miss this heavenly spectacle, you should find a dark place far away from the city lights. For best results, it is recommended to allow at least an hour and perhaps have a lounge chair or mat with you. You should also make sure to take a break of around 5 to 10 minutes to relax your eyes. What should be avoided, however, is looking directly into the radiant and using bright lights that could disrupt night vision.

For a short time, Earth embarks on an exciting journey by crossing an old dust streak from Comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet, discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, takes about 133 years to orbit the sun. It is the origin of the Perseids, as the debris that burns up as it enters the atmosphere comes from this comet. The last approach to the Sun took place in 1992, the next one is expected in 2126, as shown on nasa.gov is explained.

A historical drama

There is a special anecdote surrounding the Perseids: They are also known as the “Tears of Saint Lawrence” because their climax roughly coincides with the feast of Saint Lawrence. This causes a lot of media coverage every year and attracts many people outside to admire the night sky.

So if you have the opportunity to take a look at the night sky in the coming days, you should take the free time. August not only offers a breathtaking light show, but also the chance to immerse yourself in the fascination of astronomy and be seduced by the magic of the Perseids. Pack your blanket, find the right place and enjoy the fascinating spectacle over Cologne and far beyond!