logo
Perseids, best meteor shower of the year, are about to begin. Expert reveals where and when you can watch them

Perseids, best meteor shower of the year, are about to begin. Expert reveals where and when you can watch them

Economic Times19-07-2025
TIL Creatives
The Perseids can be viewed all over the night sky, but they are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA
The Perseids, considered by astronomers to be the best meteor shower of the year, are about to begin. Skygazers in the UK can look forward to a spectacular celestial treat over the next five weeks as the Perseid meteor shower streaks across the night sky.According to the American Meteor Society, this celestial event is the most popular meteor shower. Particles are released from a comet named 109P/Swift-Tuttle as it returns to the inner solar system. The name "Perseid" comes from Perseus, the constellation near where the meteors appear to originate at maximum activity.To find the Perseid meteor shower it is best to look for the point in the sky where they appear to originate from - known as the radiant - which for this one is in the constellation of Perseus.
ALSO READ: 'Make America Healthy Again': Trump admin revives baby boom agenda and is helping women get pregnant
According to Courier Journal, the Perseid meteor shower is active now, and skywatchers might catch it starting at around 11 p.m. According to space.com, it's active from mid-July through late August and will peak overnight between Aug. 12 and 13. The meteor shower starts on Thursday, July 17, and ends Saturday, August 23, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
"The Perseids, which peak in mid-August, are considered the best meteor shower of the year," according to NASA. "With swift and bright meteors, Perseids frequently leave long 'wakes' of light and color behind them as they streak through Earth's atmosphere."The Perseid meteor shower is set to peak on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13. Usually, during its peak, there will be up to 50 to 75 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, according to the American Meteor Society.
ALSO READ: Trump signs landmark 'Genius Act': What are stablecoins? How new crypto law could transform your digital wallet?
According to American Meteor Society, the best time to view the Perseids is between midnight and dawn, according to the society. A good day to view them is Thursday, July 24. That's when the new moon is, according to the Farmers' Almanac. This will make the night skies darker and optimal for stargazing.However, one of the best days to see the Perseids is on Wednesday, July 30, because two other meteor showers, alpha Capricornids and Southern delta Aquariids, will be happening at the same time, according to Lunsford."With the moon bothering the Perseids this year, the last couple of days of July might be a good opportunity to see some meteors without any moon," Robert Lunsford, the American Meteor Society's newsletter editor and fireball report coordinator, told USA Today. This year's peak will occur just three days after the full moon.
ALSO READ: Stimulus payments worth $300 to $1,700 to hit bank accounts of Americans in days. Check eligibility and key dates
The meteors can appear from anywhere. The Perseids can be viewed all over the night sky, but they are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA."Lie back, look up, and scan the entire sky," the American Meteor Society stated. "Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, though they will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, in the northeast." "You should face away from the moon," said Lunsford.
ALSO READ: Did Chris Martin regret after exposing Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief's apparent 'affair' on Coldplay kiss cam? Videos emerge
In order to see the shower, you should find a dark location away from light pollution. Also, give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark and avoid looking at phones or bright lights.For optimal comfort, dress appropriately for the weather, use bug spray, and bring a blanket or a reclining chair. Onlookers will not need any equipment to see the meteor shower, according to the society.Lunsford cautions against buying telescopes priced under $500, suggesting instead that beginners invest in models from Celestron. He recommends choosing a telescope with a lens rather than a mirror for easier use. For those on a tighter budget, he suggests starting with a good pair of binoculars.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...
Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...

India.com

time3 hours ago

  • India.com

Bad news for NASA employees as Trump administration forced 3870 workers to...

New Delhi: Washington: 3,870 employees will lose their jobs from the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These employees are going to resign under the Voluntary Resignation Program. Why did these employees resign? US President Donald Trump's administration has launched a programme to reduce the number of employees to cut the budget. Under this, employees have been asked to resign on their own instead of being fired from NASA. To comply with the Trump administration's goal of reducing the federal workforce, space agency NASA officials are taking the path of resignation to avoid layoffs. NASA is world's most prominent space agency. What did NASA say about resignations? At present, 3,870 employees have resigned from NASA. However, NASA has said in its statement on Friday, July 25, that this number may change after reviewing the applications. NASA has given employees two separate opportunities to leave the job in 2025. After both resignation programmes and about 500 people leaving their jobs in general, NASA will be left with about 14,000 employees. This is the second round of resignations The first round of resignations at NASA came in the early part of the Trump administration. This effort was driven by the government efficiency department DOGE led by Elon Musk. NASA launched its second round of deferred resignations in early June, giving a chance to join it till July 25. The agency said that 3,000 employees accepted it, which is 16.4 percent of the total workforce. NASA issues statement NASA has said in its statement that safety is our top priority. Along with becoming a more efficient organization, we are also ensuring that our capabilities for missions like Moon and Mars remain fully intact. However, experts believe that such a huge reduction in the number of employees may harm NASA's future missions and technical expertise.

NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts
NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts

NDTV

time4 hours ago

  • NDTV

NASA To Lose About 20% Of Staff Amid Trump's Federal Workforce Cuts

The US space agency NASA will lose about 3,900 employees under Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce -- at the same time as the president prioritizes plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, NASA said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation program, which closed late Friday. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000 -- a more than 20 percent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation program will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. "Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars," the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed NASA budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and center, slashing science and climate programs. The White House says it wants to focus on "beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars." China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US program, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays. NASA is still run by an acting administrator after the administration's initial pick to lead the agency, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman -- endorsed by former Trump advisor Elon Musk -- was ultimately rejected by the Republican president.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will miss Earth but might strike the moon – what happens if it does?
Asteroid 2024 YR4 will miss Earth but might strike the moon – what happens if it does?

Time of India

time5 hours ago

  • Time of India

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will miss Earth but might strike the moon – what happens if it does?

An asteroid once thought to be heading for Earth is now out of sight, but not out of mind. Named 2024 YR4, this 200-foot-wide space rock could strike the moon in late 2032. And scientists are paying close attention to what that could mean for both space missions and life on Earth. From 'City Killer' to lunar threat Discovered in late 2024 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, asteroid 2024 YR4 raised alarms. At one point, it had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth by December 22, 2032—the highest risk ever recorded for an asteroid, according to NASA . That changed after new measurements were taken using ground-based telescopes and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These helped track the asteroid more precisely, improving its predicted orbit by 20%. The good news: Earth is now safe. But the not-so-good news? The moon might not be. What happens if it hits? A moon impact would not threaten life on Earth directly. But the consequences could still be significant. Scientists say the strike could form a 1-kilometer-wide crater on the moon and send up to 100 million kilograms of dust and rock into space. The size of such rocks is not an issue, as the atmosphere will protect Earth from that. However, the debris could harm satellites or even astronauts on the moon. Fine lunar dust, traveling faster than a bullet, might reach Earth within days or months and trigger a bright meteor shower . Tracking, planning, and what comes next Scientists are already preparing to observe YR4 again when it comes back into view around 2028. A proposal by MIT's Julien de Wit and Johns Hopkins' Andy Rivkin to use Webb for an early look in 2026 was recently approved. 'This newly approved program will buy decision makers two extra years to prepare, though most likely to relax, as there is an 80% chance of ruling out impact,' said de Wit. Rivkin, who led the DART mission that successfully deflected a different asteroid in 2022, says YR4 presents a different kind of question. Would we ever try to deflect something headed for the moon? 'We realize that an impact to the moon could be consequential, so what would we do?' said de Wit. As more infrastructure, missions, and astronauts are expected on the moon in the coming decades, astronomers believe events like YR4 must be taken seriously. 'If this really is a thing that we only have to worry about every 5,000 years or something, then maybe that's less pressing,' Rivkin said. 'But even just asking what would we do if we did see something that was going to hit the moon is at least something that we can now start thinking about.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store