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Revision as of 10:14, 12 August 2009
The Perseids (pronounced /ˈpɜrsiː.ɨdz/ us dict: pûr′·sē·ĭdz) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passes by the Sun. Most of the dust in the cloud today is approximately a thousand years old. However, there is also a relatively young filament of dust in the stream that was pulled off the comet in 1862. The rate of meteors originating from this filament is much higher than for the older part of the stream.
The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the first known information on this meteor shower coming from the Far East. In early medieval Europe, the Perseids came to be known as the "tears of St. Lawrence."
Yess.... now as I was saying the distance is millions of lightyears away and this event actually occurred years ago but the speed of light has bought to our vision at this present moment!!
The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity between August 8 and 14, peaking about August 12. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle's orbit, Perseids are primarily visible in the northern hemisphere. As of 2009 the peak hourly zenith rate is about 120, but fainter meteors will be washed out by a waning gibbous moon.
| Year | Perseids active between | Peak of shower |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 14 July - ...[1] | Expected: 11 August - 12 August [2] |
| 2008 | 25 July - 24 August [3] | 13 August (ZHRmax 116) [3] |
| 2007 | 19 July - 25 August [4] | 13 August (ZHRmax 93) [4] |
| 1972 | 12 August: reported to be the most active shower in recorded history [5] |
References
- ^ "Perseids 2009: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ "NASA The 2009 Perseid Meteor Shower". Science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ a b "Perseids 2008: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ a b http://www.imo.net/live/perseids2007/
- ^ "Bright sky could dim nighttime viewing of meteor shower". AccessMyLibrary.com. 2006 11 08.
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External links
- The Perseids - Watching Meteors
- Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers page
- Timelapse movie of the 2007 Perseid Meteor shower
- Animation of this event at Shadow and Substance.com
- 2007 Perseid Meteor Picture 2009 Perseid Meteor Fireball
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2004
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2005
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2006
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2007
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2008
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2009
