“Make a wish” in the Styrian night sky

Styria who want to experience a fascinating meteor shower and also have a few heart desires open should take a good look at the night sky from Monday: because in the coming days up to 100 shooting shooting stars per hour will hiss in the firmament. Astronomers expect the peak of the Perseid rain on August 11 and 12 – “stargazing” is therefore worth it!

The annual celestial phenomenon was especially impressive in 2016, when astrofans could count 150 to 200 shooting stars per hour. This year, however, the spectacle is likely to be a bit cloudy: “On August 12, there is a full moon and the night is therefore particularly clear. So you can’t see the shooting stars as well as usual,” explains Günter Kargl. from the Graz Institute for Space Research.

Still, it pays to stay up a bit longer – and take an evening trip to the countryside: “You can watch the meteor shower very well from an outdoor mountain hut. The further you are from the illuminated cities – keyword: light pollution – the better”, advises kargl.

Good view of the Gesäuse and the Feldbach . district
For grazers, we therefore recommend a small “star journey” away from the provincial capital in the direction of Upper Styria, for example to the Gesäuse. A good view is also there in the eastern part of Styria, Feldbach, where local politicians have recently made a sincere effort to create a few “dark spots”. One can only hope that the clouds will clear and allow a view of the clear night sky.

Earth crosses orbit of comet Swift-Tuttle
But why is midsummer every year the unforgettable highlight of shooting stars? Every year around August 12, when Earth crosses the orbit of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle (discovered in 1862), comet particles burst into Earth’s atmosphere at tremendous speed—then flare up like meteors. “The Perseids are also so impressive to many because they are the easiest to observe.”