In August, marvel at the night sky one of the greatest spectacles of nature – the meteor shower of the Perseids. In the ideal case, every few minutes a shooting star can be observed – some of which are very bright.
The largest Chance of such fireworks is in the morning hours of the 12th. August . Unfortunately, the light of the half moon that rises already at the midnight, will interfere with the visibility up to the dawn. But many of the Perseids should still be bright enough to overcome the moon’s light. “In the ideal case, up to 40 or 50 meteors per hour can still be observed,” says Prof. Thomas W. Kraupe, Director of Planetarium Hamburg.
“And late in the evening of the 12th. August another good observation window for this shooting Star, fireworks stands, before the rising of the moon available. Crucial for a good ‘Show’ is a dark site without interference or obstructions. Take at least an hour of time, because the meteors come in spurts and in between we often experience lulls.“
Perseids: How does the natural phenomenon?
As drops of Rain of cosmic dust particles hit the earth’s atmosphere about us, and create light traces. It is the verglüh debris of a comet ends. “The earth crosses in its orbit around the sun every year in August, the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle and crosses in the back behind ‘the cross-road of dust particles’. Some of the about a hundred kilometers height above the ground verglüh particles are bright enough to be well above the city visible – often these meteors glow for a longer time,“ says Prof. Kraupe. dpa/Matthias Balk A shooting Star lights up in the last summer, in addition to the milky way in the sky above the Walchensee. Every year in August in the shooting star power of the Persian numerous shooting stars iden to see.
Perseids all appear to be from one point can be assumed – but the
“are deceiving you Extended your glowing back light tracks, they all seem of a point in the North-East to broadcast the ‘radiant’ in the constellation of Perseus on the border of the ‘heaven-W’. Therefore, this annual meteor shower is thought to be known also as a pers.“
The entire activity period of the Perseids this year, and extends from 17. July to the 24. August. The shooting star spectacle in the summer sky is observed for a long time. Catholics brought it to the St. Lawrence in connection. This Martyr was on 10. August of the year is 258 in Rome hung. According to the legend, his tears of fire now every year around this time from the sky – the “Laurentius-tears”.
“Let the Perseids in peace, as all good things come to those who wait,” concludes Prof. Kraupe. “This shooting stars-pulling in different directions, and whizzing in front of numerous constellations across the sky. There are tiny, flashing comet shard. Therefore, there is no way to accurately predict how many will you see in a certain night – enjoy the Show.“
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the comet “Neowise” that persons come to iden: After the game the brightest can look forward to sky gazers already on to the next astronomy spectacle of comets in years. As every year, in August, promises to be the legendary Perseid swarm of shooting stars which are seen without optical AIDS. The highlight of the meteor rain is the 12. August is expected, but now the view of the night sky is worth it.
For night owls and early birds
Because even in the nights before the Perseid maximum, many of these summer flitting meteors already about the night sky. Night owls or early risers should be able to cloud-free sky is already a view one way or the other summer falling star catch. Some observers will feel invited, according to ancient custom, the shooting Star, to entrust a secret desire.
dozens of Perseid meteors per hour
at the time of the Perseid maximum could then light up, in the ideal case, up to a hundred shooting stars per hour in the sky – however, only when there is an unusually good observing conditions. Rather inexperienced observers should not, however, get quite as many shooting stars to see.
Since time immemorial, to mark the August meteors for shooting star fans a fixed date in the astronomical calendar. Your name, the summer of shooting stars from the constellation Perseus. There is the apparent starting point of the Perseid meteors, called the Radiant, is located.
In truth, the shooting stars come from the immediate Erdumgebung: On its orbit around the sun, our Planet crosses each year between mid-July and the end of August, a cloud of tiny particles of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle left behind in its orbit around our Central star.
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With the pace of 216,000 on the go
Hitting the earth on the cosmic dust trail this approximately every 133 years, recurrent comet ends, penetrate the often only pinhead-sized particles with 60 kilometers per second in the earth’s atmosphere in a – so, with the incredible speed of 216,000 km / h. At a height of 80 to a hundred kilometers, the small dust particles produce phenomena in the light, the shooting stars are called.
such As in heavy snow
drift of the earth through All the hissing observer of an image, such as a motorist with a meteor swarm in dense driving snow: When you look through the windshield it seems as if all the snow were flakes from a common starting point. In truth only the perspective is playing a trick on you – in the same way as in the case of the Perseids, whose light tracks are all in the constellation Perseus back extend.
Perseids as a spectacular fire-balls
The larger meteors Shine with their entry into the atmosphere so strong, such as bright stars and planets. Even brighter, but also less of the so-called fire-balls. These spectacular meteors often draw a coloured afterglow ends of the tail behind her.
Good all-round visibility is important
A special equipment need to sky gazers for the observation of persons not iden – a chair or a Mat deck, and a good all-round visibility from the rich. Binoculars or telescopes are Tracking in a matter of seconds verglüh meteors even a hindrance – the field of view of such instruments is too small, the nimble sky cruiser to capture.
As the Perseid is best to photograph
The best observation possibilities a place offers, away from the artificial light-flooded cities. Who want to photograph the meteor shower, you should use a wide-angle lens, the camera on a tripod and a long exposure choose.
In the vernacular, the August meteors are hot by the way, Lawrence’s tears. The Name commemorates the St. Lawrence, on 10. August 258 died under the reign of the Roman Emperor Valerian martyred. Since then, it rained according to the legend, on this day, always fiery tears.
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