Latest news with #meteor shower
Irish Times
23 minutes ago
- Science
- Irish Times
‘Take some time to look up': Perseid meteor shower could be visible tonight
One of the most eagerly awaited astronomical events of the year – which promises one or two meteors or 'shooting stars' a minute – is set to dominate Irish skies on Tuesday night. Gazers of the Perseid meteor shower could see about 60 meteors an hour darting across Tuesday's night sky – weather and light pollution permitting. Met Éireann forecasts clear spells for most, though cloudier conditions are expected to build in the south. In urban areas, where light pollution can hinder sight of the night sky, those hoping to catch a glimpse can still expect a decent show, said astronomer Danielle Wilcox from Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork. READ MORE 'It gives some of the brightest meteors, so you can be in the city and see some of those bright ones,' she said. The Perseid meteors are caused by dust particles shed by the comet, Swift-Tuttle. The comet, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun, was last seen in Irish skies in 1992. At this time of year, Earth moves through this debris cloud, making one of the most celebrated astronomical events and arguably the most predictable. Particles from the debris cloud subsequently burn up on entering Earth's atmosphere and create flashes of light. While the shower is active for several weeks, it peaks on the night of August 12th. 'It's such a special time of the year,' Ms Wilcox said. With a caveat to ease heightened expectations, she said the public would not see 'thousands of stars falling from the sky', but could see one or two meteors a minute. The Perseids take their name from the constellation of Perseus, from where they appear to spread in all directions, and towards which Ms Wilcox advised looking on Tuesday night. A meteor streaks across the sky over West Virginia during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2021. Photograph: Bill Ingalls/Nasa There are about a dozen meteor showers each year, but 'tonight in particular is the night to go out'. 'It's a really good meteor shower in particular because it gives us a lot of meteors per hour compared to other meteor showers,' she said. With about 60 meteors an hour, 'you're almost guaranteed, if you sit out and look up for a few minutes, to see a meteor,' she said. 'That's what's so exciting about it, especially for people who have never seen 'shooting stars', this is your chance to get out there and see that,' she said. The number per hour can rise to 100 for those under 'really, really dark skies'. She said August's full moon, known as a Sturgeon Moon, might hinder sight of the less bright meteors, but it was 'luckily' becoming less bright and was rising later. This provided an optimal window, between sunset and moonrise, for stargazers to look north and catch a glimpse of the shower. 'Take some time to look up,' she said.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Stargazers prepare for meteor shower of the year as the Perseids peak
It is time for stargazers to dig out the deckchairs to try to enjoy what is considered to be one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseids are expected to peak on the night of 12 August, although they have been active from mid-July and will continue to be visible for a further couple of weeks. The annual event, which is most visible in the northern hemisphere, arises as comet debris burns up in Earth's atmosphere. 'Each year, Earth passes through the material shed by an ancient celestial body, Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which is estimated to be well over 5bn years old – older even than Earth,' said Dr Richard Parker, an astrophysicist at the University of Sheffield. He said the comet visited the inner solar system every 133 years, and would next make its closest approach to Earth in 2126. 'Notably, the comet is the largest object that approaches Earth – but thankfully, it's not predicted to come dangerously close for thousands of years,' Parker added. The Perseids arise because debris left by the comet lingers in space. 'Because we orbit the Sun year after year, we keep hitting into it at the same time and from the same orientation,' said Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. 'So from our point of view, standing on the Earth, it looks as if [the Perseids] come from that same part of the sky every single year.' This radiant appears to be in the constellation of Perseus – giving the meteor shower its name. Perseus is now visible in the north-eastern sky. But for the best chance of seeing the meteors, Bloomer said it was worth turning towards the east-south-east, looking towards Saturn, or more to the north, looking towards the constellation of Ursa Major. 'To maximise your chances, if you turn slightly away from Perseus, you're likely to catch them out the corner of your eye,' he said, noting that it was easier to see in low light conditions with peripheral vision. With the peak occurring just days after a full moon, experts have said fainter meteors might be tricky to see this year. Bloomer said it was best to head out late at night to as dark a location as possible, with as clear a horizon as possible, and wait up to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust. He recommended viewing with friends, but said individual meteors might flare up for only a second, or even less. 'It's one of those things where you can't really spot it, turn to somebody beside you, tap them on the shoulder and try and get them to look at the same part of the sky. It's done by then,' he said. 'So in a way, it is quite a solitary thing, because you just have to sit and have your eyes open and that's it.'
The National
7 hours ago
- Science
- The National
'Fireball' Perseids meteor shower to peak tonight in UAE skies
Stargazers in the UAE will be able to spot the Perseids meteor shower tonight and into the early hours of Wednesday, as the celestial event reaches its peak. The showers, however, may be fainter than usual this year because of a full moon that could reduce visibility of the meteors. They might have been slightly more visible on the night of July 24 when the showers first started, with moonless conditions. Khadijah Ahmed, operations manager at Dubai Astronomy Group, said the Perseids meteor shower takes place when Earth passes through the densest part of the debris trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. 'Unfortunately, there is a full moon just before the Perseid peak in August, meaning bright moonlight will wash out many meteors during the peak nights, but that's when you typically get 60 to 100 meteors per hour under moonless conditions.' The Perseids are one of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year, which produces bright streaks of light as the particles burn up in the atmosphere, with the most intense activity typically on August 12 and 13. The Dubai Astronomy Group will host a stargazing event on August 12 in Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah for the public, with tickets priced at Dh200 ($54) per adult. 'We'll focus more on stargazing, observing all the visible objects in the sky with a sideshow of the meteor,' said Ms Ahmed. 'As the meteor shower will continue till late August, we might host another event depending on the weather to observe the meteors on moonless nights.' Mohamed Usama Ismail, lead of optical astronomy and tours at Al Sadeem Astronomy in Abu Dhabi, said viewing the Perseids comes down to 'timing and luck'. He said visibility can vary from year to year. 'Last year, it was a bit strange,' he said. "People came to observe the Perseids on August 12 and 13 but didn't see much. I wasn't sure why. Then, on August 14, a group visited and saw no fewer than 50 meteors, so it's all about luck.' There have been reports in recent years that the Perseids' intensity is declining and that the shower may not produce as many meteors as it once did. Astronomers believe the showers are weaker now because thicker parts of the comet's debris, which caused intense displays of meteors in the 1990s, have slowly spread out over time, causing fewer visible meteors today. Al Sadeem Astronomy is not hosting a specific event for public viewing of the meteor shower, but tours of its observatory are available regularly. After the showers, the next celestial event set to take place in the UAE will be a total lunar eclipse, appearing in the skies on September 7. The Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, turning a deep reddish colour. 'This is one of the rare astronomical events happening in the UAE in 2025,' said Ms Ahmed. 'We will host an event for the eclipse and encourage everyone to witness it. You don't need any special equipment – just go outside and look up." The first supermoon of the year, the Hunter's Supermoon, will appear on October 7, followed by the Beaver on November 5 and the Cold Supermoon on December 4. There are more meteor showers after the Perseids, including the Orionids' peak on October 21 and 22, followed by the Leonids, peaking on November 17 and 18. The best meteor shower and often the most visible, the Geminids, will peak on December 13 and 14. Perseids meteor showers - in pictures
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Stargazers prepare for meteor shower of the year as the Perseids peak
It is time for stargazers to dig out the deckchairs to try to enjoy what is considered to be one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Perseids are expected to peak on the night of 12 August, although they have been active from mid-July and will continue to be visible for a further couple of weeks. The annual event, which is most visible in the northern hemisphere, arises as comet debris burns up in Earth's atmosphere. 'Each year, Earth passes through the material shed by an ancient celestial body, Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which is estimated to be well over 5bn years old – older even than Earth,' said Dr Richard Parker, an astrophysicist at the University of Sheffield. He said the comet visited the inner solar system every 133 years, and would next make its closest approach to Earth in 2126. 'Notably, the comet is the largest object that approaches Earth – but thankfully, it's not predicted to come dangerously close for thousands of years,' Parker added. The Perseids arise because debris left by the comet lingers in space. 'Because we orbit the Sun year after year, we keep hitting into it at the same time and from the same orientation,' said Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. 'So from our point of view, standing on the Earth, it looks as if [the Perseids] come from that same part of the sky every single year.' This radiant appears to be in the constellation of Perseus – giving the meteor shower its name. Perseus is now visible in the north-eastern sky. But for the best chance of seeing the meteors, Bloomer said it was worth turning towards the east-south-east, looking towards Saturn, or more to the north, looking towards the constellation of Ursa Major. 'To maximise your chances, if you turn slightly away from Perseus, you're likely to catch them out the corner of your eye,' he said, noting that it was easier to see in low light conditions with peripheral vision. With the peak occurring just days after a full moon, experts have said fainter meteors might be tricky to see this year. Bloomer said it was best to head out late at night to as dark a location as possible, with as clear a horizon as possible, and wait up to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust. He recommended viewing with friends, but said individual meteors might flare up for only a second, or even less. 'It's one of those things where you can't really spot it, turn to somebody beside you, tap them on the shoulder and try and get them to look at the same part of the sky. It's done by then,' he said. 'So in a way, it is quite a solitary thing, because you just have to sit and have your eyes open and that's it.'
CTV News
12 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
High traffic expected at Elk Island Park for Perseid meteor shower
Starting Monday night, the sky will be lit up by the Perseids meteor shower. CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti has more on how you can catch the show.
