The Perseid meteor shower is a popular phenomenon where meteors fall to Earth from space during a specific season. This year's peak is expected to occur on August 11th and 13th, but it may occur anytime until the end of the week in August. Visibility is largely influenced by local weather conditions. Perseid meteors are remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which follows an elliptical orbit around the Sun that takes 133 years to complete. Although there were concerns about the comet potentially colliding with Earth or the moon in the 1990s, more precise calculations have determined that there is no risk to Earth for at least another two thousand years.
NEWS 🚨: The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight (Aug 11) and into the early morning
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) August 11, 2024
No need to look in any particular direction as meteors can be seen all over the sky
NASA says to expect around 100 meteors per hour ☄️ pic.twitter.com/fqRnlFUH0W
Is Perseid Meteor Shower Harmful?
The Perseid meteor shower is not dangerous to Earth as most meteors disintegrate in the atmosphere, and some can produce minor fireballs. The shower is known for its fast and luminous movements across the night sky, with almost 100 meteors visible every hour. The meteor shower is a unique sight, with fireballs or larger bursts of color and light that last longer than usual meteor streaks.
Stargazers, look up! It’s time for the Perseid meteor shower. Head out the night of Aug. 11 and before dawn on Aug. 12 for a chance to see some celestial fireworks. https://t.co/lWKxd8inbD pic.twitter.com/KlFzC8Eul3
— NASA (@NASA) August 9, 2024
When Does Perseid Meteor Shower Occur?
Perseids, typically fast and luminous, create a path of color and light as they move across the night sky. During the yearly Perseid meteor shower on August 12, 2016 in Spruce Knob, West Virginia, a photographer wipes the camera lenses as a meteor streaks across the sky in a 30-second exposure.
Perseids are well-known for their fireballs or larger bursts of color and light that last longer than the usual meteor streaks because they are made of larger particles containing cometary materials.
