Perseid Meteor Shower August 2024 Full Details

To experience one of the most anticipated meteor showers, mark your calendar for the nights of August 11 and 12. During these nights, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak, with the best viewing opportunities occurring in the hours before dawn.

For those who can’t catch the Perseids Meteor shoower tonight directly, a couple of free livestreams are available, hosted by Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project on YouTube. These streams will provide a real-time view of the skies over Maciano, Italy, captured by the project’s all-sky camera. The first stream will begin at 9 p.m. EDT on August 11 (0100 GMT on August 12), and the second will start at 9 p.m. EDT on August 12 (0100 GMT on August 13).

5 Surprising Facts About the Perseid Meteor Shower That You’ve Never Heard Before

1. Origin from a Distant Past: The Perseid meteor shower originates from the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which is over 4.5 billion years old. This makes the meteors we see during the shower remnants from the early solar system, offering a glimpse into the distant past of our cosmic neighborhood.
2. Named After a Hero: The Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus, not because they come from it, but because they appear to radiate from this point in the sky. Perseus, in Greek mythology, was a hero who slayed the Gorgon Medusa and saved Andromeda from a sea monster, symbolizing bravery and strength.
3. Mystical Ancient Significance: In medieval Europe, the Perseids were known as the “Tears of St. Lawrence” because they occur around the saint’s feast day on August 10. Legend has it that the meteors represent the tears shed by St. Lawrence during his martyrdom, falling to Earth once a year as a reminder.
4. Double Peaks: While most people know the Perseids peak in mid-August, many are unaware that the shower often has two peaks. The first peak is from larger, brighter meteors, and the second, slightly later peak consists of smaller, more numerous particles, creating a burst of activity as Earth moves through different parts of the comet’s debris trail.
5. Record-Setting Speeds: Perseid meteors are some of the fastest meteors, entering Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 130,000 mph (209,000 kph). This incredible velocity is due to the direction of Earth’s orbit relative to the path of the comet Swift-Tuttle, making them faster and more intense than many other meteor showers.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs annually from mid-July to late August, offering a spectacular display that consistently ranks among the most prolific meteor showers each year. This event provides an excellent opportunity to observe meteors on clear summer nights. This year perseids meteor shower 2024 is on August 11 and 12.

This meteor shower is the result of Earth passing through the debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet, the largest known object to regularly approach Earth, last passed close to our planet in 1992 and won’t return until 2126. As Earth moves through the comet’s trail, fragments of ice and rock enter our atmosphere at speeds of up to 130,000 mph (209,000 kph). The intense speed compresses and heats the air around the debris, creating the bright, fiery streaks we recognize as meteors.