TapTechNews August 10th news, the most worthy celestial phenomenon to observe in August - the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak (the period with the most meteors) on the night of August 12th. Friends who like meteor showers can observe during the period from the evening of the 12th to the early morning of the 13th.
In addition, on the evening of the Qixi Festival, which is also tonight, it is also a very good observation point, and it happens to be a weekend. Those who have time can also prepare.
The Perseid meteor shower, along with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January and the Geminid meteor shower in December every year, are known as the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. When it reaches its peak, the number of meteors can basically reach 100 or more per hour. If you are lucky enough, you can also see a fireball and colored meteors such as red and light green in the sky.
The observation of the Perseid meteor shower has at least a history of up to 2000 years, which is related to Comet Swift-Tuttle. Its orbital period around the sun is 133 years. Every August, the earth will encounter the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle on the sun's orbit. Most of these debris are composed of ice and dust. When they pass through the earth's atmosphere and vaporize, a spectacular Perseid meteor shower is formed.
TapTechNews note: Meteor showers usually produce long and bright trajectories when passing through the earth's atmosphere, and sometimes fireballs. Most Perseid meteors burn in the atmosphere at altitudes above 80 kilometers (50 miles).
Xiu Lipeng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and an astronomy popularization expert, said, When the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak, the zenith hourly rate (ZHR) is above 100. Ideally, dozens of meteors can be seen crossing the sky every hour. The moonlight is an important factor affecting the observation of meteor showers. The moon phase on the 12th is the first quarter moon, which has a certain impact in the first half of the night and no impact at all in the second half of the night.
Compared to the Quadrantid meteor shower with unstable flow and the Geminid meteor shower that appears in the cold winter period, the Perseid meteor shower is the most suitable for the public to observe throughout the year because its peak appears in the warm summer, the annual flow is very stable, and the number of meteors is relatively large.
So, how to observe this celestial phenomenon blockbuster in summer vacation? Everyone can choose an open area with less light pollution and less obstruction, such as in the wild, rural areas, high mountains, etc., and just lie on a mat or lounge chair and look up at the sky.