Perseids meteor shower returns to Australian skies
Dubbed 'the best meteor shower of the year' by experts, the Perseids are one of the busiest showers with about 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour, according to NASA.
The event produces fast, bright streaks and occasional fireballs, larger bursts of light caused by bigger chunks of space debris burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
While best viewed from the northern hemisphere, Australian sky watchers in the Top End will be able to catch a glimpse of the famous display. Picture:.
The meteors come from debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1992 and is almost twice the size of the asteroid believed to have wiped the dinosaurs from Earth.
As Earth moves through this trail of dust and rock each year, the particles slam into our atmosphere at high speeds, creating the familiar flashes of light in the night sky.
NASA says the Perseids are best viewed in the pre-dawn hours, when the sky is darkest and the shower's radiant point, the constellation Perseus, is higher above the horizon, but they can sometimes be seen from about 10pm.
The meteor shower is known for occasional fireballs with up to 100 meteors seen per hour. Picture: Supplied.
But there's a catch for Aussie viewers: The best views are in the Northern Hemisphere.
Only those in the far north of Australia may catch a glimpse of the brighter meteors, and even then, the brightness of the moon will reduce visibility significantly.
Those in southern Australia will likely miss out altogether.
The shower runs from July 17 to August 23, with peak activity expected about August 12.
Amelia Swan
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Amelia Swan joined News Corp as a cadet reporter in 2024.
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