How to see meteor showers in August

the shooting stars perseid One of the most famous and beautiful weather events of the year.

in shooting stars Scientifically speaking, it isMeteors“: Tiny dust particles and grains that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. This creates friction and the air becomes hot – and the glow effects occur. These dust particles can come from Comets Which lose some of their material as they orbit the sun. These small particles continue to orbit the planet. Comets The sun.

When the Earth passes through this path, dust particles form what is called a meteor shower. This happens every year in mid-August by train. Comets Swift-Tuttle, whose dust trail creates the Perseid meteor shower.

The Perseids owe their name to the constellation from which they appear to “fall”: we fly past comet particles once a year – and the Earth is positioned exactly so that the constellation Perseus is in the background. shooting stars They seem to come from this constellation, but they have no physical connection to it.

The meteor shower is also called the “Lawrence's Tears” because its appearance coincides with the name day of the martyr Lawrence on August 10, and has been interpreted as tears from heaven for his martyrdom.

for you climax Access to the Perseids On the nights of August 12-13 and August 13-14, Between 10 a.m. and midnight. Since the Earth's satellite is in the waxing crescent phase, it shines brightly and greatly impairs the view of the celestial scene before it sets after midnight.

Assuming the weather is good, there should be some early visits starting around 9:30 p.m. Meteors Must be taken into account.

It is not necessary to use binoculars or a telescope – the Perseids are visible to the naked eye, preferably in a dark place. It is important to have a clear view of the entire sky, and observing is most comfortable while lying down. Meadows or fields outside the city will be especially suitable.

In Vienna and the surrounding area, it will be difficult to see the landscape due to the city lighting. Therefore, the Vienna Planetarium, the Kuffner Observatory and Urania invite you to attend their special events.