The name of the meteor shower that occurs annually in August. The most spectacular meteor shower of the year: when and where is the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower. List of meteor showers

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Perseids- meteor shower of the Perseus constellation: when to observe, peak activity, location, connection with the Swift-Tuttle comet, research, interesting facts.

Perseids- an annual meteor shower, lasting from July 23 to August 20. Associated with Comet Swift-Tuttle. The peak falls on August 12-13. Sometimes it is called "the tears of St. Lawrence", as it falls on the date of his martyrdom (August 10).

The main parameters of the Perseids:

Parent Body: Swift-Tuttle
Radiant: constellation Perseus
Radiant - coordinates: 03h 04m (right ascension), +58° (declination)
First entry: 36 AD
Dates: July 23 - August 20
Peak: August 13
Quantity in maximum: 80

Part of the name comes from the Greek "Περσείδες" - "sons of Perseus". There is an association with Perseus here because the radiant (the point from which the shower emerges) is in the direction of the constellation Perseus. The radiant only creates a random alignment with the constellation, since the stars of Perseus are located a few light years away, and the meteors themselves are 100 km away.

The stream of debris stretches along the orbit of the comet and is called the Perseid cloud. The Swift-Tuttle orbital path is 133 years. Particles inside the cloud have been stored there for thousands of years. The peak occurs on August 13, but in 1865 a dust arc provided a shift for one day - August 12.

The Perseids can be observed already from mid-July, and during the peak the speed reaches 60 meteors per hour. If you are interested in the highest speed, then it is better to watch a few hours before dawn. Most meteors burn up at an altitude of 80 km.

Focusing on the path of the comet, the meteor shower provides the best view for residents of northern latitudes. In the southern hemisphere, the spectacle is much weaker, as the radiant never rises above the horizon at southern latitudes.

It is best to choose dark places for observation, away from city lighting. The constellation Perseus is located in the northeastern part of the sky. Meteors should be viewed between the constellation and the zenith (a point in the sky overhead). But there is no particular need to look for Perseus, since meteors dot the entire sky.

Of course, the lunar phase will also affect visibility. You should look closer to sunrise, between 2-4 o'clock in the morning. But you can start from 22:00. If you want to capture this spectacle, then set the sensitivity to light to high and the exposure to be very high (minimum 30 seconds).

The exact days, meteorite speed and peak intensity are hard to predict as they change every year. They can be large and bright or small and dull. This is due to the irregular distribution of masses in the meteor shower.

The Perseids stand out for their fireballs, huge bursts of light that last longer than ordinary meteors. Most often, their values \u200b\u200breach -3. In 2013, the average peak of magnitude approached -2.7, which is significantly brighter than the magnitude of Gemini (-2).

July 23 you can see the first appearance of the stream (1 meteor per hour). Every week the intensity increases and in early August 5 meteors fly by in an hour. By August 12-13 - 50-80. After the peak, a gradual fading occurs and by August 22 again returns to one meteor per hour.

Facts

The main radiant of the stream is located in the direction of Eta Persei, the second is Gamma Persei, and the rest are near Alpha and Beta Persei. In myths Ancient Greece The Perseids were associated with the constellation. It was believed that this was a reminder of the time when Zeus (father of Perseus) visited his mother Danae in the form of golden rain.

The stream was first recorded in China, making a note in 36 AD, when 100 meteors were counted. In addition, the Perseids appear in many Chinese, Japanese, and Korean records in the 8th to 11th centuries, but they were little spoken of in the 12th to 19th centuries.

It is believed that the first to recognize the Perseids as an annual phenomenon was the Belgian astronomer Adolf Quetelet. In 1835, he reported that in August he had recorded a meteor shower emerging from the constellation Perseus.

Comet Swift-Tuttle was independently discovered by American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle in 1862. It is large, with a core of 26 kilometers (twice larger object that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs). The size of the comet and the size of the meteoroids is the main reason why we can enjoy so many fireballs during the peak period.

In 1865, the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli made a connection between the comet and the Perseids. This is an important date, since for the first time a meteor shower was identified with comets.

Swift-Tuttle moves in an eccentric orbit: approaching the interior of the Earth's orbit, approaches the Sun, and then exits the orbit of Pluto. When approaching a star, the comet heats up and throws debris along the orbit.

In December 1992 came the comet's perigee (nearest point to the Sun). This will only happen again in July 2126.

Telescopes and other astronomical instruments are not required to observe the meteor shower, so anyone can enjoy the night starry spectacle of summer. It is better to conduct observation in nature, for example, in a field, in a country house or in a village. However, cloudiness and rain can interfere even there. It is believed that meteor showers have a very positive effect on human energy. It is also customary to make wishes during the meteor shower.

For an observer in central Russia around midnight, the constellation Perseus is located in the northeastern part of the sky. In the evening, it starts its journey from the eastern horizon, rises very high by morning, so that "shooting stars" become visible throughout the sky.

The history of the discovery of the Perseids

The name Perseids comes from the name of the constellation Perseus. The Perseid meteor shower has been known to mankind for about 2 thousand years. The first mention of them is contained in Chinese historical annals dating back to 36 AD. Also, the Perseids were often mentioned in Japanese and Korean chronicles of the 8th-11th centuries. In Europe, the Perseids were called the "Tears of St. Lawrence", since the festival of St. Lawrence, which takes place in Italy, falls on the most active meteor shower period - August 10th.

The Perseids are a meteor shower that passes very close to the Earth and leaves a very beautiful "star trail" behind it - it surpasses many other stars in brightness.

It will be possible to observe the Perseid meteor shower after midnight and before sunrise - at the peak in 2018, up to 100 meteors per hour are expected.

meteor shower

For the first time, the Perseid meteor shower is mentioned in the ancient Chinese chronicles, which date back to the 36th year of our era. The Perseids are one of the oldest meteor showers and one of the three largest meteor showers.

The Perseid meteor shower was also well known in medieval Europe, where, around the 8th century, the meteor shower was called "tears of immaculate Lawrence."

The Perseid meteor shower got its name due to the fact that during the most active period of the meteor shower, or rather on the night of August 11, the Immaculate Lawrence Festival takes place in Italy. The holiday is dedicated to the archdeacon of the Roman Christian community - he was executed during the persecution in 258.

The Belgian astronomer, mathematician and meteorologist Adolf Ketele is considered the official discoverer of the Perseid meteor shower - he reported this meteor shower in August 1835.

The number of meteors flashing during each hour was first calculated in 1839 - the maximum number of meteors in one hour 179 years ago reached 160.

The Perseid meteor shower is formed as a result of the passage of our planet through a plume of dust particles, the size of a grain of sand, released by the Swift-Tuttle comet. These particles burn in earth's atmosphere, form a star shower.

Perseid meteor shower

The Perseid meteor shower "spills" first with the greatest force, then gradually weakens. White Perseid meteors sharply trace the sky - the glow of the brightest of them lasts up to several seconds.

The orbital period of a comet currently moving towards the outer limits solar system, is about 133 years old.

starry sky seen in Krasnodar Territory during the Perseid meteor shower

Comet Swift-Tuttle last passed the Sun in December 1992. Therefore, the Perseids were very active for several years close to 1992. Astronomers from central Europe in 1993 in August could observe from 200 to 500 meteors per hour.

The name of the meteor shower comes from the constellation Perseus, from where it originates. The activity of the Perseid meteor shower varies from year to year. Burst activity, as predicted by theory, should weaken as the distance between the Earth and the comet increases.

Imagine that on a windy day you are driving through an intersection that has just been driven through by a dump truck full of sand. A dusty plume trails behind it, and a lot of grains of sand will fall into your windshield. Now let's transfer this picture to space: instead of a dump truck there will be a comet, instead of an intersection - the intersection of orbits, instead of wind - sunlight, and instead of a windshield - the earth's atmosphere.

Where do the Perseids come from?

Particles of the meteor shower are generated by Comet Swift - Tuttle. Moving along a highly elongated orbit, it makes one revolution around the Sun in 133 years. When approaching a star, its core partially evaporates, and the gases carry away grains of sand and pebbles with them - a plume forms behind the comet.

What is what

meteoroid (meteor particle, meteoroid) - an object moving in interplanetary space is larger than a grain of dust, but smaller than an asteroid, that is, no more than 1 m in size.

Meteor- a flash that accompanies the combustion of a meteoroid in the Earth's atmosphere.

fireball- a particularly bright meteor; fireballs have a noticeable angular size, crushing in flight, a trace.

Meteorite- a fragment of a large meteoroid that did not burn out completely in the atmosphere and fell to the ground.

Continuation

For thousands of years, the pressure of solar radiation blurs it in width and stretches it along the orbit. The width of the Perseid meteor shower exceeds 40 million km, and the Earth crosses it for more than a month, moving around the Sun at a speed of 30 km/s. However, the densest part of the flow is noticeably narrower - 1.3 million km, and we cross it in about 12 hours.

Perseid particles meet the Earth at a speed of 53 km/s. They would cover the distance from Moscow to Yekaterinburg in half a minute. A millimeter-sized grain of sand at this speed has the energy of a hammer blow or an explosion of 1 gram of TNT. She could make a fair hole in the hull of the spacecraft.

However, the particle concentration is extremely low. For one such to hit the ISS, one would have to wait about ten years in the densest, central part of the stream. So meteoroids, despite their speed and impressive appearance when burned in the sky, pose a much lesser threat to flights than artificial orbital space debris.

This year the conditions for observing the Perseids are especially favorable. Firstly, the maximum activity falls on the period when it will be night in Europe and Russia. Secondly, there will be a new moon on August 11, which means that moonlight will not interfere with observations.

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) predicts Perseid activity at 110 meteors per hour, with two additional bursts of activity possible (but not guaranteed) on the night of maximum, presumably around 23:00 and 5:30 Moscow time. They are associated with clumps of meteor particles that have been seen in past years.

How to watch meteors

Observing an active shower does not require complex training and equipment: meteors are visible to the naked eye. You just need to know when and where to look, and get comfortable.

The Perseid radiant is a small area in the sky that, due to the effect of perspective, seems to be the source of meteors of a single shower, is located, as the name suggests, in the constellation Perseus. At the beginning of the night, the constellation is low above the eastern horizon, meteors of the stream are seen quite rarely, but they are long, crossing the entire sky.

In the middle of the night, Perseus rises and shifts to the south, the number of meteors increases. The best time for observing the Perseids is at three to four in the morning, and in the southern regions - until five in the morning. It is not worth looking directly into the radiant, because there are not very many meteors and they are short. It is better to watch the area of the sky a little away from the radiant - at the zenith, in the south and southwest.

Photographic observations of meteors are no less interesting. To do this, you need a digital camera with a wide-angle lens and remote control (from the remote control or computer), shooting with a shutter speed of at least 30 seconds. The camera is placed on a tripod or simply placed on a flat surface, pointing to the zenith. Then, long exposure shots are taken one after the other.

Capturing a beautiful meteor usually requires two to three hours of exposure, much longer than visual observations. Firstly, even with wide-angle lenses, the field of view is smaller than that of a person, and secondly, the camera cannot turn its gaze towards a meteor that has appeared at the edge of the field of view. The chances increase if you put several cameras at once, pointing them at different parts of the sky, or use a fisheye lens.

Dress warmly and take insect repellent, get out to a place where there is no city light.
Prepare a place for observations (chaise lounge, air mattress). Orient it southeast at the beginning of the night and south at the end. Lying down, you should see the zenith, and at the edge of the field of view - the constellation Perseus.
15 minutes before observing, stop looking at bright light sources (flashlights, smartphones, fire) so that your eyes get used to the darkness. If you need light, put a red light filter on the flashlight, for example, from a plastic bag and put your smartphone into night mode.
Look at the sky for at least 15 minutes in a row, and preferably an hour. Meteors follow unevenly, even at the peak of activity, you can see nothing in five to ten minutes, and then there will be several meteors in one minute.
Look at the drawing of the constellations, but don't focus on individual stars. Do not look sharply from one point of the sky to another, otherwise the stars can create the illusion of a meteor.
When observing in a group, it is useful to report aloud the observed meteors, without taking your eyes off the sky. You will find that not every meteor is noticed by all observers.
It is useful to study the main constellations on the map in advance and select a few stars to compare the brightness of meteors. The direction of the meteors is described "by the clock": 12 o'clock - towards the head, three - to the right, etc.
If you want your observations to have scientific value, study the materials

Imagine the scene when you drove your car through an intersection where a truck full of sand had just passed. Not a very pleasant feeling, is it? Many grains of sand and small pebbles hit the windshield of the car. But what if we transfer this picture into space? Instead of a heavy truck - a comet, instead of roads - orbits, and instead of a windshield - the earth's atmosphere.

The Perseid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that occurs in the region of the constellation Perseus. This star shower is considered one of the most impressive due to its dynamism.

Why does starfall occur?

To begin with, we propose to figure out what the so-called starfall is. Many understand the name of this astronomical phenomenon in a literal sense, which is not entirely true. Celestial bodies do not fall down.

The scientific name for this phenomenon is "meteor shower", which is a collection of meteors (fragments of comets and asteroids) that collided with the Earth's atmospheric dome. During the invasion of the atmospheric shell of our planet, they burn out, forming streaks of light. It is this phenomenon that is commonly called stellar rain or starfall.

At the same time, meteor showers occur at a certain time and in a certain part of the sky. Most often, the names of starfalls are associated with the constellations near which they occur. To date, more than 60 meteor showers are known.

The Perseid meteor shower is an annual stellar shower that begins in mid-July. Its peak of activity falls on the end of the second week of August.

The Perseids are formed as our planet passes through dust particles left over from Comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet itself passes the Earth once every 135 years, but our planet collides with a dust plume every year.

When can you see the Perseid shower in 2018?

Conditions for observation this year are especially favorable. The fact is that the peak period of the astronomical phenomenon in 2018 will fall on the night of August 12-13. At the same time, there will be a new moon, which means that the moonlight will not interfere with enjoying the spectacle. In addition, the maximum activity comes at a time when both in Europe and in Russia it will be dark.

According to International Meteor Organization (IMO) forecasts, Perseid activity can reach 110 meteors per hour. In addition, experts, based on last year's observations, suggest that two additional bursts of activity are possible at 23:00 and at 5:30 am Moscow time.

By the way, the maximum number of meteors per hour "fell" in 1839. Then the inhabitants of planet Earth could see up to 160 celestial bodies per hour.

Such bursts of activity of the Perseid meteor shower were observed in the 21st century only 3 times - in 2004, 2009 and 2016. Experts say that the next increase in activity will be only in 10 years - in 2028.

How to look at Perseid meteors?

If you are excited about the idea of watching one of the most spectacular starfalls, then we are in a hurry to please you - no special equipment or training is required for observation.

The Perseid radiant is a region of the sky that appears to be the source of a meteor shower from Earth. At the beginning of the night, the constellation Perseus is above the eastern horizon, and meteors are rarely seen, but if you still manage to see them, they will be long and cross the entire sky.

By midnight, Perseus begins to move south, and there are more meteors, so the best time for observations - 3-4 o'clock in the morning. However, astronomers advise looking not exactly into the radiant, but to the southwest.

Finding the center of events in the sky is not so difficult. First, find the constellation Ursa Major - the big bucket. Then you need to find the North Star, setting aside six dimensions of the outer wall of the bucket. After we look for Cassiopeia, which looks like the letter W. Directly below it is the desired area.

It is better to watch the stellar rain outside the city, where there are no numerous light sources that overshadow the meteor shower. Anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere can enjoy the spectacle.

The mystical meaning of the meteor shower

A long time ago, when people did not know about such a phenomenon as a meteor shower, its appearance caused fear and surprise. Someone associated star rain with the coming of aliens.

Today, despite the existence of a scientific explanation, many believe that a wish made on a shooting star will undoubtedly come true. This year, the peak of meteor shower activity coincides with the 1st lunar day, and this, according to astrologers and mystics, will only enhance the effect.

In order to increase the chances of making a dream come true, it is recommended to make a wish alone. In order for the desire to come true as early as possible, it is necessary to clearly and in detail formulate what you want (up to the deadlines).

Mystics compare watching the falling stars with meditation, restoring strength and energy balance. They claim that meteors bring energy to our planet. Moreover, depending on the constellation, the characteristics of this energy can be varied. The constellation Perseus represents the struggle between Light and Darkness of our World. At this time, many will prefer to fight for justice and begin to defend their interests.