Stargazers and space enthusiasts are in for a treat on Thursday night as the Perseid meteor shower will be best viewed after Wednesday midnight. The Perseid meteor shower is an annual celestial event that happens each year in August. The Perseids are supposed to reach their peak this year between August 11 to August 13, science news website Space.com said citing space agency Nasa.
Since the new moon passed a few days ago, the dark skies (with crescent moon) will provide space enthusiasts with a chance to observe several shooting stars during the event. The best viewing hours will be between midnight to dawn on August 12, according to Space.com.
People living in major cities are advised to travel to areas where there are no bright lights in order to clearly see the meteor shower.
According to Nasa, a person can observe up to 60 meteors per hour at the peak of the event.
People are also advised to check the weather before venturing out. It is also advised that if you do go out, please check curfew timings and follow Covid-19 preventative measures for your own safety. Once all the above directions are followed, look no further than up north in the sky to see the meteor shower.
In case, if one may not be able to step out or weather conditions are not suitable, they can simply catch live streaming of the entire event on several websites. Nasa Marshall will livestream the event. The Virtual Telescope Project will also livestream the event on their website.
The Lowell Observatory, famous for its discovery of the planet Pluto, will also livestream the event.