Science

India meteor shower 2019: How to watch the incredible Perseid meteor shower


The Perseid shower is active every year from around mid-July to the end of August. During this window of meteor activity, the shower peaks over the course of one night. The shower peaks when our planet crosses the debris-littered orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle. In , the meteor shower will peak at the start of next week between August 12 and August 13

When will the Perseid meteor shower peak in India? 

The Perseids are one of the brightest and most prolific meteor showers of the year. 

Perseids are typically active from around July 17 until August 24. 

The number of shooting stars grazing the sky will slowly grow until the peak on August 12 and then slowly drop after. 

This year, the meteor shower will peak in intensity between the night of Monday, August 12 and the morning of Tuesday, August 13. 

During the peak, between 60 and 80 meteors will dash across the night sky.

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When viewed from New Delhi, however, the most optimal time to see the meteor shower will be on the night of August 13 to August 14. 

According to Space-India.com, viewing conditions might be hindered this year by the presence of a bright Waxing Gibbous Moon. 

The astronomy website said: “Every year between July 17 to August 24, Earth crosses the orbital path of comet Swift-Tuttle. 

“So, this year it will peak on 11 to 13 August but it will be difficult to observe as bright Waxing Gibbous Moon will be there in the sky.”

Meteor showers are best seen after midnight and before dawn local time. 

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How to watch the Perseid meteor shower in India

There are two options available for you on the night of the shower’s peak – you can watch the meteors in person or you can watch them live online. 

If you chose to watch the meteors at night, try to find a dark and quiet spot where you will see the whole sky at once. 

Stay away from city lights and cars and look for an unobstructed view of the horizon. 

Once you give your eyes some time to adjust to the dark, just lay down and try to see as much of the sky as possible. 

The shooting stars will dart out in all directions from a point in the constellation Perseus. 

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The other option is to find an online live stream of the Perseids. 

Robotic telescope service Slooh will broadcast the meteor shower online on the night of August 12. 

The live stream will kick off at 6.30am IST or 2am BST.

You will need a Slooh membership to watch the stream but you can sign up for a free 14-day trial. 

Slooh astrophysicist Dr Paige Godfrey said: “Some meteor showers produce great shows, others really test your patience while you lay on your front lawn in the middle of the night.

“But either way they remind us of the constant ebb and flow of the cosmos, as we get to witness the same spectacle year after year in the same parts of the sky.”



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