The great annual Perseid meteor shower is underway and will peak at the end of this month. According to NASA, the Perseids begin on July 15 each year, but the most active begin in August and peak on the 13th of the month. This year, the meteor shower is expected to reach its peak between August 12 and August 13, and 60 to 100 meteors can be seen flying across the sky at a speed of 59 kilometers per second in an hour.

The origin of the Perseid meteors

NASA says the Perseid meteorite is a remnant of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Events such as meteor showers occur when an asteroid or errant comet leaves debris in Earth’s orbit. As our planet passes through these debris, it interacts with its atmosphere and leaves streaks of brilliant light of various colors.

As for the Perseids, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli confirmed in 1865 that these meteorites were associated with 109p/Swift-Tuttle. According to NASA, Swift-Tuttle will take 133 years to complete one orbit around the Sun and its final journey through the solar system. 1992 Discovered by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle in 1862, the comet is estimated to be about 26 kilometers across, much larger than the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs from Earth.

How and when did you discover the Perseid meteor shower?

The Perseid meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere is best seen in the pre-dawn hours, although the cosmic parade often begins around 10 p.m. You can look to the constellation Perseus in the sky for a reference point, as this is the region where the Perseid meteor shower originates.

To make sure you don’t miss any angry meteorites, be sure to find a dark spot free of light pollution from artificial lighting. You can also go stargazing 30 minutes before the event starts, allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark sky. As mentioned earlier, this meteor shower, which is considered to be the best of the year, starts on July 14 and continues till September 1.