This year’s constellation could make for particularly magical shooting star nights: when the Perseid meteor shower passes across the sky in a few days, the spectacle will be barely marred by moonlight.
Although the peak of the phenomenon in this country will be on Monday (August 12) in the afternoon or early evening hours, you can expect many more sightings after that, assuming a clear view of the night sky, the Vienna Astronomical Society (WAA) points out.
Dust grains collide with Earth’s atmosphere
Every year in mid-August, Earth crosses the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, whose dust trail causes the Perseid shower of shooting stars. This happens when the dust particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere at an average speed of about 60 kilometers per second. There they vaporize at high altitude, causing the air behind them to glow. The name “Perseids” comes from the fact that stars appear to fall from the constellation Perseus.
The meteor shower is also called the “Tears of Lawrence” because its appearance coincides with the martyr Lawrence’s name day on August 10 and was once interpreted as tears from heaven over his martyrdom. The constellation rises in the northeast late in the evening in mid-August and rises in the eastern half of the sky until dawn.
Tuesday evening perfect for observations
When observing the absolute maximum on August 12 between 3:00 and 6:00 PM, the daylight is disturbing at our latitudes. However, because the maximum is “relatively broad,” as WAA President Alexander Pikhard explained, more meteor observations can be expected during the course of Tuesday night. There will be relatively little disturbing light from the moon, because the waxing crescent will not cause much visual noise. On the night of the Perseid peak, the moon will set at 10:52 PM in Vienna, says Pikhard, who this year, unlike previous years, is not planning a public viewing with the WAA.
Measures against light pollution needed
The environmental umbrella organisation (UWD) recently used the annual meteor shower to point out the continuing increase in light pollution. It was said that nationwide it only really gets dark in unspoilt night oases, such as around the Kaunergrat Nature Park House in Kaunertal, in the Attersee-Traunsee Star Park, at the Almhaus in Hochbäreneck or in the Gesäuse National Park in Johnsbach. The border triangle between Styria, Lower Austria and Upper Austria is also one of the regions in Europe that is least affected by light pollution. In light of this finding, better legislation is needed to curb artificial lighting.
Binoculars or telescopes limit the view
No special equipment is required to observe the Perseids. Most potential sightings – up to 100 per hour – will occur in areas with sufficient darkness, such as mountains. Because binoculars or telescopes reduce the field of view, they actually hinder viewing the Perseid shower. According to WAA, the phenomenon will be visible until August 24.
Source: Krone
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