TAG: GS-3: GEOGRAPHY
THE CONTEXT:
The Perseid meteor shower which is this year’s most-awaited meteor shower is set to peak on August 11, 2024.
Explanation:
About Perseid Meteor Shower:
- The name Perseid is believed to be derived from the Perseus constellation.
- It peaks during mid-August each year and is considered to be among the best meteor showers. Perseids, usually swift and bright, leave a trail of light and colour behind them as they traverse through the night sky.
- It is also one of the most plentiful showers with nearly 100 meteors seen per hour.
- The Perseids are special because they often generate fireballs.
- Fireballs are big bursts of light and color that last longer than a regular shooting star.
- This happens because fireballs come from larger pieces of material from comets.
Key facts about Meteor Shower
- A meteor is a space rock that comes into Earth’s atmosphere.
- As it falls, the air makes it really hot because of the friction.
- The bright streak we see is not the rock itself, but the hot air around it.
- When many space rocks hit the atmosphere over Earth together, we call it a meteor shower.
- These meteors travel at incredible speeds, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers per hour before disintegrating due to the intense heat generated by friction with the atmosphere.
The Perseid meteor shower features:
- Radiant Point: The Perseids radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is where they appear to originate from in the night sky.
- Debris Stream: The Perseid cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet Swift-Tuttle during its orbit. This stream extends about 0.1 astronomical units (AU) across and 0.8 AU along Earth’s orbit. The cloud includes older particles that have been in the stream for around a thousand years, as well as newer particles from the comet’s 1865 ejection, which can create a mini-peak just before the main shower.
- Peak Activity: The shower is visible from mid-July, with peak activity occurring between August 9 and August 14. During the peak, the meteor rate can exceed 60 meteors per hour.
- Visibility: The Perseids are best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, where they are visible across the sky. The highest visibility is typically in the pre-dawn hours, as Earth’s forward motion into the meteor stream increases the rate of meteors. However, many meteors are also visible before midnight.
Meteor Characteristics: Most Perseid meteors burn up at altitudes above 80 kilometers (50 miles) and can produce long, bright trails and occasional fireballs. The meteors tend to be slower compared to other meteor showers, which contributes to their bright and sometimes dramatic appearance.
Sources:
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