Perseid meteor shower location (photo by Ben Eisenstein)
Ben Eisenstein
One of the most exciting events in the August night sky is the Perseid meteor shower. You don’t need a telescope to see this event. The shower is an annual event and will be rich and steady from early August through the peak. The best viewing will be the days around the peak, which occurs Aug. 12. At this maximum it’s possible that one can see over 130 of these shooting stars an hour in a dark sky. Fortunately, SaddleBrooke Ranch has pretty dark skies and our HOA has good lighting rules to help prevent light pollution.
The position in the sky that the shower appears to originate from is called the radiant point. The Perseid shower is named after the constellation Perseus in which its radiant point lies. Perseus at that time of year is in the northeast, toward Oracle from the Ranch. Though Perseus isn’t the easiest to find, it conveniently follows the brighter and more distinctive constellation Cassiopeia across the night sky. See the accompanying graphic for a map of that part of the sky. Northeast, marked NE, is to the bottom.
Although the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, they can all be traced back to the radiant point. In August 2024, the radiant point will be above the horizon for the entire night. This means the shower will be active all night. The radiant point will be at its highest point in the sky, and thus at its best display at 6 a.m. However, by that time the morning sky will be very bright, as it is just after dawn, so the best viewing opportunities will be before dawn.
The moon will be at first quarter and set at 11:29 p.m. on Aug. 12 and so will not interfere with observation after that time. Early in the morning you will see meteors with longer tails and longer lived. Toward dawn as the earth faces the radiant point, you will see more frequent activity, but shorter tails. It is best to not look directly at the radiant point, but a bit away from it at a dark patch of sky.
Meteor showers such as the Perseids are caused when the earth passes through a stream of debris, bits of ice and rock, left by a comet. The debris for the Perseids was left by comet Swift-Tuttle. These pieces of debris pass through the Earth’s atmosphere traveling at a speed of around 133,000 MPH and at an altitude of 45 to 65 miles. They heat up to around 3,000 degrees, superheating and compressing the air in front of them. No wonder they burn up!
To best see the Perseids, use something like a deck chair. Lean back and relax, optionally with the beverage of your choice. The secret is to take in as much sky as possible. If you are up before dawn, and the weather cooperates, you are in for a treat!