(WJET/WFXP)– One of the best meteor showers visible to the naked eye has begun in the northern hemisphere, with large fireballs and long wakes of light across the sky able to be seen.
The Perseid Meteor Shower, considered by NASA as one of the best of the year, started Thursday night and will be able to be seen until August 23, peaking around August 12 and 13.
Perseid meteor shower set to begin: How to view
NASA said stargazers can see 50 to 100 meteors per hour during the peak, with bright meteors swiftly streaking across the sky, frequently leaving long “wakes” of light and color behind them as they burn up in the atmosphere, which can last longer than typical meteor streaks.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is primarily known for its fireballs, which are meteors that burn brighter than Venus, that fly through Earth’s atmosphere at about 37 miles per second, according to NASA.
The fireballs originate from larger particles of the 109P/Swift-Tuttle Comet, a comet discovered in 1862 and twice the size of the comet theorized to have killed the dinosaurs, which are brighter than other meteors with an apparent magnitude, or brightness, level of -3.
For context, the brightness of a full moon is measured at -10 apparent magnitude on average, and the sun at -26.7.
Perseid meteor shower begins: Here’s the best time to watch it
NASA said the Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, though at times it is possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10 p.m.
If you can’t see the peak of the shower, don’t fret, the DCNR said, leading up to the 2024 meteor shower, that you can still get a glimpse of the shower in the nights leading up to and after the peak.
With that in mind, we compiled the following tips to help get an out-of-this-world view of the shower:
Find a dark area with an open sky; light pollution from buildings and streetlights creates light pollution, making the shower less visible.
No equipment is necessary; anyone hoping to get a glimpse of the shower can do so with the naked eye, although binoculars can still help
Prepare your eyes for looking at the dark night sky for about 20 minutes so they’re properly adjusted.
Use a red light to get a better view around you so you don’t spoil the adjustment your eyes made for the night sky
Bring something comfy to sit in and something warm to wear if it’s cold that night
Get a stargazing resource or attend a stargazing event to help identify features in the night sky
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