On the night of Saturday, August 12 to Sunday, August 13, it will be possible to see one of the most interesting natural phenomena of the year in the sky. The night sky will be lit up by the Perseid meteor shower, which will peak over the weekend. The diary provides tips on where and how best to watch shooting stars.
At the weekend, it will be possible to observe the Perseid meteor shower. | Photo: with the permission of Petr Horálek
A heavenly spectacle is possible to see in the sky since mid-July. But it is best to observe the Perseids on the weekend of April 12 to 13, when they will fall the most. Then their activity will drop sharply. “Between midnight and four in the morning, approximately 80 meteors shine every hour, ten to twenty of which can be really bright,” astronomers from Institute of Physics in Opava.
Under ideal conditions, it will be possible to see up to ten meteors per hour. Experts generally recommend sightings in the latter half of the night, when most of them shine above the horizon, not below it.
How to observe the Perseids (August 12 and 13, 2023):
* Where is the best place to observe the Perseids in the Czech Republic?
* Map of ideal viewing locations
* What is the ideal position to observe the Perseids?
* What will the weather be like this weekend?
* Perseids and attractions
Where to observe? As far as possible from cities and light smog
In general, we can say that the further away from big cities, the better going to see the Perseids. Experts recommend driving at least tens of kilometers away. The place should be as little burdened by light smog as possible (it is best to find a vantage point at light pollution map). White light is distracting, even a single lamp or a nearby road with passing cars can drastically worsen the local conditions for observation. The press secretary of the Czech Astronomical Society, Pavel Suchan, also recommends going as high up in the mountains as possible, because of the clear air and the possibility of seeing even more meteors.
What is the best way to observe the Perseids today? NASA offers tips:
Source: Youtube
As for specific places, specialist Daniel Pitoňák from the Brno Planetarium recommends observing the Perseids especially in Šumava and Podyjí. The best conditions are also in the trio of dark sky areas, i.e. Manětínská, Beskydy and Jizerská. He also recommends the Jeseníky Mountains and the Žďárské Hills in the Vysočina. Tomáš Gráf from the Institute of Physics of the University of Silesia in Opava adds a tip on the Giant Mountains.
Some observatory they also organize a program that includes group Perseid sightings and expert commentary. An example is Ondrejov, where the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic invites those interested in space. The start of the event is scheduled for Saturday, August 12 at half past eight in the evening and entry is free. The program also offers Hradec Králové, Vyškov, Ostrava, Teplice whether Mlada Boleslav.
Dozens of shooting stars
According to experts, it is best to observe the phenomena lying down, i.e. on a lounger or in a sleeping bag. There is no need to observe the so-called shooting stars telescopewill be distinct enough to be seen with the naked eye.
Heads up. In August, the stars will fall, the Perseids await us
“Go somewhere under a dark sky, with a good view especially of the southeast, ideally of the entire sky. If you’re lucky, you can see up to several dozen shooting stars between midnight and morning,” he said on portal its director Jiří Dušek of the Brno Observatory.
The conditions are now ideal for observation. Thanks to being Moon in the narrow crescent phase, viewing the sky will not be disturbed by its glow. According to experts, such good conditions will occur again only in 2026.
What the Perseids look like:
It also depends on the weather
Another important factor is the current state of the weather and the night sky. As for the national weather forecast, meteorologists say that the weekend looks promising. In general, experts recommend checking the weather for a specific location on the site Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, and that as soon as possible before the observation. The key parameter is the last diagram predicting cloudiness. Ideally, the graph should be as “clean” as possible.
Experts also recommend packing warm clothes for observation. “The temperature can drop to 12 degrees Celsius at night. A thermos with hot tea won’t hurt either,” Pitoňák described. Other tips include arriving at the viewing spot early to make sure it’s safe and also not leaving any lights on after dark. They dazzle a person in the dark, and he will then have to get used to the darkness for approximately 20 minutes. When light is needed, it is better to take a dim, red light (for example from bicycles) that does not dazzle so much.
Fiery tears of an Italian martyr
The Perseids are tiny dust particles released from the nucleus of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every year between August 10 and 14, they heat up enough to evaporate as they pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. From Earth it is then possible to see the light accompaniment of this natural phenomenon, falling meteor shower.
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The comet was discovered by the American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle in 1862. But the first historical records of the Perseids are already from China in 36 AD.
They got their name because they look like they are flying out of the constellation Perseus. Their alternative name is “Tears of Saint Lawrence”. The Italian martyr had a bitter end, he was roasted alive on a grate over hot coals. Since then, the ancients say that every year in August, his glittering tears fall from the sky.
2023-08-11 12:02:00
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