The Perseids are back in the summer sky. The peak of activity of this famous swarm of shooting stars is expected on the night of August 12 to 13, 2023. How to see them? Where do these meteors come from?
It is one of the most beautiful astronomical spectacles of August, visible to the naked eye: the swarm of shooting stars of the Perseids crosses the sky again. The maximum of their visibility is expected on the night of Saturday August 12 to Sunday August 13, 2023, but it is possible to see some before this date, and after. This show is very popular with specialists and astronomy enthusiasts alike. If you’ve never seen shooting stars, this is the perfect time to start.
Where to look for them in the sky? How to observe these shooting stars, nicknamed the “Tears of the Saint-Laurent”? Here are some tips for enjoying the event, hoping that the weather will be favorable for observing the sky.
How to observe the Perseids?
To see the Perseids during their peak of activity, the observation can take place on August 12, in the evening. ” It’s a nice swarm. At this time of the year, the holidays are a good opportunity to observe it explains Florent Deleflie, astronomer at the Paris Observatory. To see these shooting stars, it is necessary to favor a place with the least possible light. On the other hand, it is not a problem if the horizon is not clear: the constellation of Perseus, from which the Perseids seem to emanate, is high in the sky. Even in the mountains, you can see them “, continues the specialist.
To find the radiant, this place from which all the shooting stars seem to leave, it is first necessary to locate the constellation of Perseus. ” At the start of the night, look down the W formed by the constellation Cassiopeia. The radiant is in the extension of an imaginary line between the W of Cassiopeia and the direction of the north », says Florent Deleflie. Around 2 a.m., the radiant will have moved below the W formed by Cassiopeia.
The animation above, made by our motion designer Nino Barbey, represents what we can see at the beginning of the night on August 12th. ” The swarm is observable around 20° in height: this is the ‘place’ that the hand takes on the sky, fingers spread and arm outstretched. It peaks at around 70° at the end of the night, ideal conditions if the sky is clear “, explains the astronomer from the Paris Observatory.
As usual with shooting stars, there’s no need to use a telescope or astronomical telescope: your eyes alone are enough. Just give them time to get used to the dark. If you can’t see the Perseids at their peak, that’s okay: the swarm will still be active until September 1, according to NASA.
This year, the Moon should not interfere with the observation of the Perseids, because it will only be present in the form of a thin crescent, notes the Royal Astronomical Society. These conditions are much more favorable than last year, because the Moon was full on the day of the peak of Perseid activity in 2022. That said, as noted by the Sky & Telescope site, the Perseids are an abundant swarm: with a bit of luck, we can distinguish it, despite the full moon.
Where do these shooting stars come from?
The Perseids come from a periodic comet, baptized 109/Swift-Tuttle (from the names of the 2 astronomers who independently made its discovery in 1862). The shooting stars that we observe are the trail of dust left by this comet: when they come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, their disintegration causes these luminous traces. They enter the atmosphere at a speed of 200,000 km/h.
A 109/Swift-Tuttle orbit around the Sun takes 133 years. The last time this comet visited our solar system was in 1992, according to NASA. It is a fairly large comet, the core of which measures 26 km. As the US space agency points out, it is almost the size of the object that is suspected to be responsible for causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.
The Perseids are known to be a very abundant meteor shower: between 50 and 100 meteors can be observed per hour. They are very shiny and warm, which makes it easy to spot them. ” Anyone can watch them. Watch them together, it’s even better! », enthuses Florent Deleflie.
How to see the Perseids online and live?
You can not move to a place conducive to the observation of the Perseids? There remains the option of following this swarm of shooting stars online. A live event is broadcast on the night of August 12-13, 2023 on YouTube, starting at 3:30 a.m.
This live tracking is organized by the Virtual Telescope, a project of Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, which mobilizes robotic telescopes to share observations of the sky live and online.
Now you know how to go about observing the Perseids, during their peak activity, or until September 1st – in person, or online. Good observation of the sky!
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