One of the most spectacular annual celestial events, the Perseid meteor shower is set to leave millions awe-struck, starting from tonight.
The Perseid meteor shower is set to peak from Wednesday night, August 11. You can watch several shooting hours tonight, if you are in the right location and looking at the right point in the sky.
This year’s Perseid meteor shower is special. That’s because stargazers believe the conditions are perfect to view as many shooting stars as possible.
An annual event that takes place in mid-August, the Perseid meteor show is perhaps the most scenic sky view that you will see for some months. You will regret missing this.
To watch as many Perseids as possible tonight, you need to ensure that you are perfectly placed in terms of location, time and direction. The best part about the Perseids is that you don’t need any equipment to view them. Your eyes do the trick.
Here are all the details you need about when, where and how to watch the Perseid meteor shower.
When to watch?
The Perseids will be best visible during the early hours before dawn on Thursday, August 12. The meteor show will be at its visible best in the same timeframe all through this week.
While hours before dawn (around 4 to 5 am) would be the best time to watch, you can spot Perseids as early as 10 pm in the night, when the evening twilight subsides. By this time, the point of origin of the meteors from our perspective (known as radiant, explained later) is above the horizon in the northeastern direction.
Where to watch?
The Perseids can be best viewed in the northern hemisphere. Fortunately for us, this is the hemisphere in which India lies. Perseids might also be visible in diminished view up till the mid-southern latitudes.
In the sky, the Perseids arise from a radiant or seemingly source point. This is in the direction of the Perseus constellation. This is also where the meteor shower gets its name from, which helps viewers locate it. To locate the Perseus constellation, its best to download a star gazing app on your smartphone and find the spot in the sky to focus on and spot maximum the shooting stars
As per NASA, more than 40 Perseids can be spotted in an hour’s time during the next few days.
Another important aspect is being away from light pollution. In cities you may be able to spot a couple or so, if you’re lucky. To behold the Perseids in all their glory, you should find a location as dark as possible. Its best to camp at some place on the outskirts of your city or even farther if possible.
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 "Perseid meteor shower 2021: Hundreds of shooting stars visible tonight - How, when and where to watch")
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