Perseids Meteor Shower.Photo: Bob Riha Jr.,Getty
The2021 Perseids meteor showeris in full swing — and this week, viewers will get some of the best views possible!
The celestial event, which is considered to be the best meteor shower of the year, has been lighting up skies since mid-July, according toNASA.
On Wednesday evening, the shower is expected to reach its peak with the Perseids, or “very fast and bright meteors,” in optimal view until Friday,Space.comreported, citing NASA.
Experts believe the best viewing hours during the peak will be on Thursday between midnight and dawn, per the outlet. Under ideal conditions, sky gazers may see up to 100 meteors per hour with each meteor traveling at 37 miles per second, according toNASA.
“With the crescent moon setting early, the skies will be dark for the peak viewing hours of midnight (local time) to dawn on Aug. 12,” the space agencywrote on their blog. “The night of Aug. 12-13 will be another great opportunity to see the Perseids: with a full Moon (and lower meteor activity) during the Perseids' peak in 2022 and a waning crescent high in the sky for 2023, this might be your best chance to do some summer skywatching for a few years.”
Perseids Meteor Shower.Jason Weingart/Barcroft Media via Getty
Since the meteors appear in all parts of the sky, it should be pretty easy to witness the celestial event from most places in the world,EarthSky.orgreported.
To get the best show, viewers are advised to find somewhere comfortable, avoid bright lights and give their eyes some time to adjust to the dark (ideally 30 minutes), NASA stated on their blog.
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For those unable to view the Perseids, there will be ways for them to witness the celestial event virtually.
NASA will be streaminga live broadcastfrom their Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, starting around 8 p.m. CDT on Aug. 11 and continuing through sunrise on Aug. 12.
A number of other live streams — including broadcasts from Rome, Italy, Fort Davis, Texas and Vestal, New York — will also be available online. More information on the webcasts can be foundhere.
source: people.com
