Every year, between mid-July and mid-August, small particles of comet Swift-Tuttle cross Earth’s orbit. When entering our world, small cometary debris knock into molecules in the atmosphere. This shock, extremely violent, produces light. Each debris then turns into a “shooting star”. This phenomenon is called the swarm of the Perseids, also nicknamed “The tears of Saint-Laurent”.
This year, the show should be at its peak on the night of August 12 to 13, which is this night. And it should be extraordinary, weather permitting, which is shaping up to be the case on Wednesday. Astronomers predict maximum activity of up to 110 shooting stars per hour and predict that the best time to see this phenomenon will be around 3 a.m.
Small advice: it is advisable to settle in a dark place and free from any light pollution, and to look in the North-East direction.
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