The Perseids in August: make way for the most beautiful meteor shower of the year!

“The Persians in August: time for the most beautiful shower of shooting stars of the year!”

ÉSHOOTING STARS. How to observe the magnificent shower of shooting stars of the Persians in August? All the information so as not to miss anything of this spectacle which does not take place only once a year.

Among the major stellar events, the most spectacular remains that of the Perseids which takes place in August. This shower of shooting stars, known to be the most beautiful of the year, is in full swing at the moment and will continue until August 24, 2024. It will experience an activity more intense between August 10th and 14th with a maximum peak on the night of August 11th to 12th.

This year, the Moon should be discreet during the Perseids, reserving a splendid celestial spectacle for us. How to see shooting stars? &At what time? Where are they coming ? We give you all the essential information to make the most of the show that awaits us.

The Perseids are a meteor shower that occurs every year in August. They are caused by comet 109P/Swift Tuttle, whose debris cloud our planet crosses at this time of year. The name given to the Perseids comes from the constellation Perseus, where the starting point of the meteors is located. Theoretically, between 70 and 110 shooting stars occur per minute during the peak intensity of the Perseids. Depending on weather conditions, light pollution and the brightness of the shooting stars, it is unfortunately not possible to see them all. But with a little patience, you should still be able to witness a spectacle and see many shooting stars streaking across the sky.

You will be able to see shooting stars from sunset, but to admire a maximum of shooting stars, you will have to wait until the Moon has passed behind the horizon to enjoy a very dark sky. Fortunately, the latter will set early in the night, around midnight at the peak. From that moment, you will have until sunrise to enjoy the show, the light of which will be perceptible between 5am and 6am. This will give you several hours to look up at the sky and make many wishes!

Shooting stars can be observed by everyone without any equipment, provided that the weather is good and that no clouds come to spoil the party. Just look at the sky and wait a little. With a little luck, you should see several in the same evening. Ideally, bring a hot drink to stay outside without getting cold and make yourself comfortable. Shooting stars usually leave a luminous trail that makes them easy to spot.

To identify the constellation of Perseus, where the Perseids come from, you can get a sky map or use a mobile application like Sky Tonight, available on Google Play or the App Store. This application will allow you to quickly find the area of ​​the sky to observe so as not to miss the show.