In just a few hours we will witness one of the most popular astronomical phenomena. Meteors from the Perseid swarm will fly over our heads. Unfortunately, the weather is not good for everyone at night. Check where IMGW weather forecasters forecast the best conditions.
On the night from Friday to Saturday is “the night of shooting stars”. The best conditions for viewing the maximum of the Perseid swarm will be in the north of the country, the weather forecast said IMGW Ilona Bazyluk. Under ideal conditions, you can see up to about 100 falling meteors per hour. This time, however, the observations will be made more difficult by the Moon, which was super full on Thursday night. This does not mean, however, that we have no chance of seeing “shooting stars”.
– In the night from Friday to Saturday, the best conditions for watching “shooting stars” will be in the north of the country, where the cloud cover will be low. In the west of the country, the cloud cover will be moderate and you will also be able to admire meteors, although the weather conditions will not be so favorable – she said. “In the center, in the south and in the east, it will be cloudy all night and it will be difficult to see” shooting stars “in those areas, she added.
Perseids – what is it?
Meteors, colloquially known as shooting stars, are phenomena that occur when they fly through the atmosphere of rock particles from space, called meteoroids. The vast majority of them are destroyed in the atmosphere. Extremely bright meteors are called bolides, and if the rock that flew into the atmosphere managed to survive and reach the Earth’s surface, we will be dealing with a meteorite.
The Perseids are the remains of comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle, which appears near the Sun once every 133 years. Each visit causes the comet’s icy nucleus to partially melt, releasing a multitude of tiny rock debris. As the Earth passes through a cloud of cosmic dust, the crumbs burn in the atmosphere, accompanied by a characteristic flare.
You do not need telescopes or binoculars to observe them. It is best to choose a place from which you can see a large part of the sky, away from the city light. The rule is simple – the darker the area, the better.
There are several superstitions associated with the Perseids. Formerly they were called the Tears of St. Lawrence, who was martyred around August 10. In some cultures it was believed that every shooting star heralded the death of a human being. There is also a superstition that makes you make a wish when you see a shooting star.
The night sky in August – where to look for the Perseid swarmMarta Sitkiewicz – PAP / DPA
Main photo source: Shutterstock