What are Perseids?
This meteor shower, a phenomenon that occurs when a swarm of meteoroids burns in the Earth's atmosphere. It can be compared to driving a car in rainy weather, when drops crash into the windshield - just like comet dust particles crash into the Earth's atmosphere on high speed. A meteor should not be confused with a meteorite - a cosmic body that fell to the surface of the Earth.
Despite the name “starfall,” nothing actually falls from the sky; the Perseids are tiny dust particles of comet Swift-Tuttle burning in the atmosphere. This phenomenon repeats annually during the period when the Earth is in the region of its orbit in which it intersects with meteor showers.
What is special about this starfall?
Perseids 2016
From year to year the flow varies in intensity. In 2018, they promise from 80 to 110 meteors per hour - this is slightly less than last year, but reality may differ from the forecast in any direction. Of course, other meteor showers are visible throughout the year, but the Perseid meteor shower, which occurs in warm August, is best observed. And on the night of August 13, the Moon will not illuminate the sky.
Do I need to look for a telescope?
Contrary to general misconception, you don’t need optical instruments. On the contrary, it can and should be observed with the naked eye. Binoculars will come in handy if you decide to view the Andromeda galaxy and the moons of Jupiter. Meteors can also be photographed: leave the camera at a slow shutter speed, and you will get particle tracks against the background of the starry sky.
Where should you watch the starfall?
Perseids 2016
Within the city limits, the starfall is practically invisible. And on the outskirts, not all meteors will appear to the eye, only the brightest. Therefore, it is best to stock up on hot tea, travel 30–40 km outside the city and find an open area. Then, if astronomers’ expectations are justified, 60–80 meteors can be seen per hour. The farther from settlements, the less light pollution - and the more shooting stars you can see.
Bring a blanket or cot, because it is most comfortable to observe the phenomenon while lying down: your neck will not become stiff, and you will be able to see better. While standing or sitting, you need to look in the direction opposite to the radiant - this is the name of the point from which meteor particles supposedly fly out. In fact, they are flying in parallel, but it seems to us that they are flying from this point.
Where can I find radiant?
Planetarium stellarium (free software). Perseid shower radiant
The radiant of the Perseid shower is located in the constellation Perseus, it is easy to find it in the sky to the right Ursa Major, below the constellation Cassiopeia - the same letter W in the sky.
Why do you need to watch the starfall?
Romance, aesthetic pleasure, scientific interest, after all. This is also a unique opportunity to see how our planet moves, because meteor shower is the consequences of the contact of the Earth and a comet. So grab your friends, thermoses of tea, blankets and feel the sky getting closer.
It will be possible to meet with astronomer Igor Tirsky at the festival at lectures and master classes as part of the educational program.
The Perseid meteor shower is rightfully considered one of the most popular and picturesque “star showers”. Owing its existence to the comet Swift-Tuttle, it delights the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere every year. The peak of the meteor shower is expected from Thursday to Friday and from Friday to Saturday. Moreover, in 2016 the Perseids will be much more intense than before. We talk about how to observe, study and even photograph meteors, as well as other astronomical and atmospheric phenomena in August.
Perseid meteor shower 2016: detailed guide and observation secrets. Source: gorodkirov.ru
Where and when to watch
Perseid activity begins to increase from August 5th, reaching its peak from 11th to 12th(for the European part of Russia) and from 12th to 13th August(for Siberia and Far East). Increased activity gradually decreases after the peak until August 15, individual meteors can be observed until August 24. On the days of maximum flow, the number of meteors in 2016 will reach up to 150 per hour - this is the forecast of the International Meteor Organization (IMO). The high increase in the number of observed meteors compared to previous years is due to the fact that this year a section of the stream will pass near our planet, shifted closer to the earth’s orbit and disturbed gravitational influence giant Jupiter. In addition, on the night of August 12, the Earth will pass close to two plumes of particles ejected by Comet Swift-Tuttle in 1479 and 1862, which will also increase the intensity of the star shower. By the way, you can monitor the activity of the Perseids online, and the NASA channel will help you watch the flow in real time
It is worth observing the Perseids with the naked eye, limiting yourself only to glasses or contact lenses if you have poor eyesight. There is no need to take binoculars, telescopes, or spotting scopes with you - they will only cover most of the sky. Bad weather and light exposure in large cities and towns can interfere with observations. In this case, it is worth driving after sunset as far as possible from the city to those places where the lighting tends to zero. Will fit hills, wastelands, fields at a distance of about 50 km from major cities. The darker the sky and the wider the view, the greater the likelihood of seeing even a faint meteor. You can monitor the weather and cloudiness using the Hydrometeorological Center service.
To get a better view, professionals advise sitting on a sun lounger or lying directly on the ground, having first laid down one or two blankets. It’s good to take a sleeping bag with you - August nights are no longer pleasantly warm. So, at this time the air temperature at night is Leningrad region rarely rises above 12 degrees. Prepare for the fact that you will need to lie/sit for a couple of hours with mandatory breaks of 10 minutes - before it begins to get light. Breaks are necessary in order to stay focused and warm up, otherwise after an hour, most of the meteors will be difficult to notice.
How to find and observe
Find constellation Perseus simple enough. We need to find something familiar to everyone in the sky Ursa Major — the constellation resembles a ladle with a handle. If you look a little to the right and slightly up, you will also see one of the bright and memorable constellations, which is visible even in the city despite the light pollution - Cassiopeia in the shape of the letter W. Just below Cassiopeia there are four bright stars Perseus, lined up along one slightly curved line. It is from the point between Cassiopeia and Perseus, called radiant, and the Perseids fly out, leaving a bright and thin strip of light in the sky, disappearing in a couple of seconds. To determine whether a meteor is a Perseid, you need to visually continue its track in a straight line. If the line does not intersect the radiant, then the meteor has no relation to the Perseids and is called sporadic. However, sporadic meteors can be quite bright and impressive.
If you are traveling with a group of several people and want to count the meteors seen, and also understand the stars and constellations, you can use professional way observations. Let each meteor shower viewer have his own observed sector of the sky, limited by several bright landmark stars. If you are traveling more than 50 km from major cities, feel free to take with you a DSLR camera, a good lens and a tripod. Detailed guide There is a guide for shooting any meteor showers.
When meteors are not visible in the sky, there is no need to be upset. Treat the starry sky as a gift, explore the most bright stars, constellations and even galaxies using special applications. In addition, it is interesting to observe their satellites, which move relative to the “fixed stars” in different directions. In addition, you can see ISS— you can track the International Space Station using free application ISS Spotter for iOS and inexpensive ISS Detector Satellite Tracker for Android. That's not all: astronomers also love satellite flares Iridium, the track of which is different from meteors - short, bright, thickened in the middle, similar in shape to a spindle.
Here come the days of August, last days summer. The month of July was pleased with the eclipse, August will delight with the “star shower” - this is a unique and beautiful sight. On the night of Sunday, August 12, to Monday, August 13, the brightest meteor shower, which forms from the side of the constellation Perseus, will reach its maximum. According to astronomers at the Moscow Planetarium, up to a hundred “stars” will burn out in the sky per hour. Therefore, you should not miss it. This phenomenon will be especially visible outside the city, without city color.
The Perseids are a meteor shower that appears in July-August every year. It is so named because flying "stars" appear in the area of the constellation Perseus. This particular starfall is considered one of the most spectacular and dynamic.
In this article, we will answer your questions: Where, when and what time to watch “Star Rain” in August 2018?
The 2018 Perseid meteor shower will peak on August 12-13. On this day, the number of falling “stars” per hour will approach 60. In general, star rain begins from July 17 to August 24.
At the end of July there are several meteors per hour. Every day the number of falling “stars” increases. And after reaching the peak on August 12-13, it decreases. Closer to the 20th, only 1-2 meteors per hour remain. The name of this phenomenon is deceptive and misleads some people. No, the stars do not fall down.
Astronomers call a meteor shower a meteor shower, and it is created by numerous meteors. These are fragments of comets that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up in it, while on their way down they glow like stars.
Where can you watch the starfall?
WHAT TIME WILL THE AUGUST STARFAULT PEAK WILL BE:
The peak of the starfall occurs at 18:00 Moscow time. Sunday August 12, 2018. The active phase will also last throughout the night from August 12 to 13.
Since for residents of the central part of Russia the starfall will reach its maximum during daylight hours (on August 12, 2018, sunset time in Moscow is 20:12 Moscow time), it is best to start observing the celestial phenomenon immediately after sunset, simultaneously with the onset of twilight.
When will such a thing happen again?
The Perseid shower is formed when the Earth passes through a plume of dust particles that were released by Comet Swift-Tuttle. These tiny particles, burning in the earth's atmosphere, create the effect of star rain. The orbits of the Earth and the stream invariably intersect each other annually between July 17 and August 24. The meteor shower peaks on the nights of August 11th to 13th.
This meteor shower has been known to mankind for about two thousand years, but its activity is inconsistent from year to year. For example, in August 1993, 200 to 500 meteors per hour were observed burning in central Europe. The fact is that the activity of the Perseids decreases as the distance between the comet and the Earth increases. Last time bursts of stream activity occurred in the summers of 2004 and 2009. According to calculations by specialists from the Moscow Planetarium, the next major “star shower” awaits us in 2028.
...They say that when you see a shooting star in the sky, you should make a wish as quickly as possible, which will certainly come true. But is this really so? What do astrologers and psychics say about this phenomenon? When is the time for the most active star shower of the year? History, facts and records of the August meteor shower, which is called the Perseids.
The main starfall of summer 2017
You can find out what date the meteor shower begins in August by looking at the astrological calendar. According to the calendar, the so-called Perseid shower traditionally falls between July 17 and August 24. Moreover, one of the August nights in the range from the 12th to the 17th becomes the peak activity of the meteorite flow. The incredibly beautiful spectacle of a trail of falling stars consisting of ice and dust always arouses interest not only among astrologers, but also among ordinary people.
The name Perseids comes from the constellation from whose location the “burning stars” begin their journey. This is the constellation Perseus. The eastern horizon is the starting point of the August star shower, which begins as dusk sets in (approximately from 22:00). The stream of stellar particles closer to midnight is visible from almost anywhere on the planet. Closer to the morning, the fall of meteorites becomes noticeable throughout the sky, although mainly in the northern hemisphere.
In Russia the number visible to the eye falling meteors is approximately one meteor per minute. But the speed of falling stellar particles, according to scientific research, is about 200 thousand kilometers per second.
A little history of observations
A similar phenomenon occurs during the passage of the Earth through the debris and dust of comet Swift-Tuttle, which flies near our planet once every 135 years. Its remains, wandering in space, annually entering the Earth’s atmosphere, heat up and burn, leaving behind luminous streaks, which form the so-called “meteor shower”. The activity of the Perseids is variable and depends on the location of the constellation Perseus relative to the Earth. Based on this, in one year the number of falling meteors can be within fifty per hour, and in another it can reach up to five hundred.
Table: All star falls of 2017
Astrologers and psychics about summer starfall
The fairly strong energy of meteorite showers, according to astrologers, can harm a person who is unable to control his emotions. During the period when starfall begins, they recommend monitoring your actions, emotions, words and even thoughts. After all, negativity, expressed in any of the above forms, can return to the person from whom it originally came and significantly ruin his life. The “boomerang effect” is the most appropriate comparison here.
According to psychics, in areas where meteor showers are visible, this is an ideal period for performing a number of ritual rituals. In particular these are:
- cleansing from negativity,
- removing all kinds of curses,
- changing negative attitudes along the family line.
But the extremely strong energy of the Perseid meteorite stream requires caution and attentiveness in your actions, which include the use of a variety of magical rituals. Although ideally, from an esoteric point of view, the most “helpful” are those falling stars that a person sees spontaneously.
Features of observing star rain
The Perseus meteors are bright enough and you don’t need any optical instruments with an astronomical bias to see them. Ideally, meteor showers are best observed in villages and towns with a minimum amount of street lighting. In this case, it is possible to see even the smallest falling particles with barely noticeable lighting.
The number of falling meteorites can reach 150 units per hour (2-3 meteors per minute). The duration of the glow of falling particles is several seconds. The speed of falling meteorites, as mentioned above, is approximately 200 thousand kilometers per second. The Perseids "astronomical show" requires patience from people who want to see the meteor shower. After all, not everyone would agree to spend the whole night in the open air, watching the flares that appear from time to time in the heavens.
It is noteworthy that the star showers, the list of which is given in the table above, are repeated from year to year. This is due to the fact that the earth’s orbit and the orbit of meteorite streams (remnants of comet tails) are intersected in a strictly defined area, due to the fact that each time they pass along the same cosmic route. And if it happens that for some reason it was not possible to observe the trail of falling stars in 2017, then all this can be made up for in the new year 2018.
On the night of August 12-13, you will be able to see the Perseid meteor shower, the largest meteor shower of the year. Yuga.ru has collected five places from where it is best to watch the sky.
The star shower will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, at higher elevations and away from city lighting. According to the Gismeteo forecast, from August 12 to 13 in the territory Krasnodar region Clear weather is expected, so there is a good chance of seeing more meteors. Best time to view the celestial spectacle - from 23:00 to 03:00, but the peak is at 01:00 - 02:00. Stars will be falling all over the sky, so don't worry about looking in the wrong place. Astronomers advise choosing one point and observing it - this way you will see the most.
The Perseid meteor shower appears annually in August from the direction of the constellation Perseus. At this time, the Earth passes through a plume of particles released by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Small dust particles burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, and we see what we call starfall. Comet Swift-Tuttle itself approaches Earth once every 135 years, but passes through its tail every year. The last time the comet was seen was in 1992.
100-150 meteors per hour are expected at the peak of the Perseid shower, according to the International Meteor Organization. This means that every minute at least two “shooting stars” will appear in the sky. The peak of the meteor shower falls on the night from Saturday to Sunday - an ideal time to watch the stars and at the same time think about the eternal.
Tent city at the Rosa Khutor resort
Tourists watch the meteor shower on the Bzerpinsky cornice, which is located at an altitude of 2.1 thousand m above sea level.
Telescopes will be installed at the site, there will be music and a café. Guests of the camp will enjoy yoga classes, walks along a mountain trail, open-air cinema and lectures on celestial bodies.
The mountain camp will open at 13:00 on August 12, from this time it will be possible to set up your own tent or rent it along with a sleeping bag from the organizers. You can get to the camp until 20:00. The festival will end on August 13 in the afternoon.
Sea shore
On the shore you will be guaranteed a good view and a pleasant soundtrack - the sound of the waves. The main thing is to choose a place near which there will not be a lot of light from the coastal town.
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For these reasons, Sochi and Gelendzhik are not suitable, unless you go to wild beaches, away from cafes and hotels. But Veselovka and the village of Blagoveshchenskaya are suitable, as are many other small villages on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas.
Mount Sober-Bash
The beauty of Sober-Bash is not only that you can clearly see the stars from there, but also its accessibility - this mountain is perhaps the most popular in the region, because it is easy to climb.
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Sober-Bash is located 60 km from Krasnodar, near the village of Ubinskaya in the Seversky district. Without traffic jams, you can get there in two hours. Walking to the top takes another two to three hours, but if you have an SUV, you can drive it. Don't forget your camping essentials - water, food, something sweet, bandages, antiseptic and matches.
The name translated from Adyghe means “mountain of witches”, its height is 735.8 m. The top of Sober-Bash is quite flat and spacious, with good review.
Mezmay
In Mezmay, conditions for stargazing are close to ideal - it’s not for nothing that astronomers come here to look at the Perseids. There is an observatory in the village, so if you dreamed of counting all the meteors through a telescope, then this is your chance.
200 km from Krasnodar, three and a half hours drive - and you are in a wonderful mountain settlement with the poetic name “forest of wild apples” (this is how the word “mezmay” is translated from Adyghe). In the vicinity of the village there are several observation platforms - “St. Michael’s Stone”, “Pyramid” and “Eagle Shelf”, well known to Krasnodar residents. Going there at night, especially to the “shelf”, may not be best idea, so we recommend not to go far from the village, which itself is located at an altitude of 600 m above sea level.
Krasnodar
If you spend the weekend in Krasnodar, be prepared to see significantly fewer shooting stars - only 3-5 per hour. For sky observations, it makes sense to choose eastern part cities (Komsomolsky, Gidrostroy), which is always a little darker after sunset than the west.
In addition, you can sign up for an excursion to the KubSU observatory and look at the stars through a telescope. Astronomers will watch the peak of the Perseid shower in Mezmay, and the observatory will not work on August 12-13. But the star shower will last until August 24 - everyone will have time to make a wish.
