Even though Canadians will not be able to see the partial eclipse of the Sun, you can enjoy another astronomical event: there will a night filled with meteors streaking the night sky!
The annual summer night show is famous, as it produces many colored meteors. They come from Perseus constellation and can be seen streaking the sky and leaving behind light trails. Perseids are our favorites, as it produces about 100 meteors per hour, a phenomenon called high zenithal hourly rate (ZHR). The Perseids started at the end of July, but the peak is on 12-13 August – which makes it a perfect weekend!
During that period, people will be able to spot about 50-75 meteors per hour, which means that you can see a meteor per minute!
The great news is that this weekend there is a new moon, which makes the sky darker, allowing you to easily spot the light from the meteorites.
Making the Most of This Event
If you’re wondering how to make this event memorable, here are a few hints.
There is no need for a telescope or binoculars to view the meteors. You can see them with the naked eye, as long as you go to a dark area, away from the city.
After about half an hour, your eyes should adjust to the darkness and you will start spotting them very fast – so we recommend you don’t check your phone in the meantime.
Get a lawn chair or some blankets, spray yourself with some mosquito repellant and take in as much sky as you can, focusing on a dark part of the sky.
Don’t forget to pack some beverages, because this event will last the whole night until the early morning of 13 August!
If you cannot spend this Sunday looking at the sky, you can always “hunt” for some meteorites each night until August 24, but the ZHR will be a lot lower.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.