Perseids
Perseids (PER) | ||
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Zenithal hourly rate 100[5] | | |
The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle that are usually visible from mid-July to late-August. The meteors are called the Perseids because they appear from the general direction of the constellation Perseus and in more modern times have a radiant bordering on Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis.
Etymology
The name is derived from the word Perseidai (Greek: Περσείδαι), the sons of Perseus in Greek mythology.
Characteristics
The stream of debris is called the Perseid cloud and stretches along the
The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity between 9 and 14 August, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky; however, because of the shower's radiant in the constellation of Perseus, the Perseids are primarily visible in the Northern Hemisphere.[9] As with many meteor showers the visible rate is greatest in the pre-dawn hours, since more meteoroids are scooped up by the side of the Earth moving forward into the stream, corresponding to local times between midnight and noon, as can be seen in the accompanying diagram.[10] While many meteors arrive between dawn and noon, they are usually not visible due to daylight. Some can also be seen before midnight, often grazing the Earth's atmosphere to produce long bright trails and sometimes fireballs. Most Perseids burn up in the atmosphere while at heights above 80 kilometres (50 mi).[11]
Peak times
Year | Perseids active between | Peak of shower |
---|---|---|
2023 | July 14 – Sep 01 | August 13 08:00 UT New Moon is on Aug 16.
|
2022 | July 17 – Aug 24 | August 12–13 (full moon on Aug 12) |
2020 | July 16 – August 23[14] | August 12–13 ( ZHRmax 100) (full moon on Aug 3)[14]
|
2019 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12–13[15] (ZHRmax 80) (full moon on Aug 15) |
2018 | July 17 – August 24 | August 11–13[16] (ZHRmax 60) |
2017 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12[17] |
2016 | July 17 – August 24 | August 11–12 [18] (ZHRmax 150) |
2015 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12–13[19] (ZHRmax 95) (new moon on Aug 14) |
2014 | July 17 – August 24 | August 13 (ZHRmax 68)[20] (full moon on Aug 10) |
2013 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12 (ZHRmax 109)[21] |
2012 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12 (ZHRmax 122)[22] |
2011 | July 17 – August 24 | August 12 (ZHRmax 58)[23] (full moon on Aug 13)[24] |
2010 | July 23 – August 24 | August 12 (ZHRmax 142)[25] |
2009 | July 14 – August 24 | August 13 (ZHRmax 173) (The estimated peak was 173,[26] but a gibbous Moon washed out fainter meteors.) |
2008 | July 25 – August 24[27] | August 13 (ZHRmax 116)[27] |
2007 | July 19 – August 25[28] | August 13 (ZHRmax 93)[28] |
2006 | August 12/13 (ZHRmax 100)[29] | |
2005 | August 12 (ZHR max 90[30])[31] | |
2004 | August 12 (ZHRmax >200)[32] | |
1994 | (ZHRmax >200)[3] | |
1993 | (ZHRmax 200–500)[3] | |
1992 | August 11 (outburst under a full moon on Aug 13)[33] | |
1883 | August 9 or earlier[34] | August 11 (ZHRmax 43)[34] |
1864 | (ZHRmax >100)[3] | |
1863 | (ZHRmax 109–215)[3] | |
1861 | (ZHRmax 78–102)[3] | |
1858 | (ZHRmax 37–88)[3] | |
1839 | (ZHRmax 165)[3] |
Historical observations and associations
Some
The transition in favor of the Catholic saint and his feast day on August 10 and away from pagan gods and their festivals, known as Christianization, was facilitated by the phonetic assonance of the Latin name Laurentius with Larentia.[38][39]
In 1836 Adolphe Quetelet wrote: J'ai cru remarquer aussi une fréquence plus grande de ces météores au mois d'août (du 8 au 15) "I think I noticed also a greater frequency of these meteors in the month of August (from 8 to 15)."[40] After studying historical records, he predicted a peak on 10 August. He then wrote to other astronomers, who confirmed this prediction on the night of 10 August 1837. Quetelet missed the shower due to bad weather.[41]
In 1866, after the
In popular culture
In his 2006 novel Against the Day, American novelist Thomas Pynchon refers to the Perseid meteor shower being watched by three characters west of the Dolores Valley after playing a game of tarot. In the popular TV Series Curious George, season 7 episode 1b, George and his friends Allie and Bill hunt for the Perseids, which they believe are creatures that look like purses. At the end of the episode, Allie's grandfather Mr. Renkins says that the Perseids is a meteor shower happening in early August.[42]
John Denver's song Rocky Mountain High references the showers with the lyric, "I've seen it raining fire in the sky."
See also
- Leonids, associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle
- Asteroid impact prediction
- Earth-grazing fireball
- List of asteroid close approaches to Earth
- Meteoroid
References
- ^ "Perseid". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
- ^ Bill Cooke; Danielle Moser & Rhiannon Blaauw (2012-08-11). "NASA Chat: Stay 'Up All Night' to Watch the Perseids!" (PDF). NASA. p. 55. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gary W. Kronk. "Observing the Perseids". Meteor Showers Online. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ISBN 978-0521899352
- ^ a b c d e f "2023 Meteor Shower List". American Meteor Society (AMS). Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ Dan Vergano (2010-08-07). "Perseid meteor shower to light up night sky this weekend". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
- ^ Dr. Tony Phillips (June 25, 2004). "The 2004 Perseid Meteor Shower". Science@NASA. Archived from the original on March 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ISBN 9789401156523.
- ^ "Perseids Meteor Shower 2018". timeanddate.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- ^ "what is a meteor shower". Archived from the original on 2015-08-17. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
- ^ "NASA All Sky Fireball Network: Perseid End Height". NASA Meteor Watch on Facebook. 2012-08-11. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
- ^ Robert Lunsford. "Viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower in 2023". American Meteor Society (AMS). Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ IMO Meteor Org
- ^ a b "Perseid meteor shower 2020: When and where to see it in the UK". Royal Museums Greenwich. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ "Perseid meteor shower 2019: When and where to see it in the UK". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ Sarah Lewin (July 9, 2018). "Perseid Meteor Shower 2018: When, Where & How to See It". Space.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ Sarah Lewin (July 26, 2017). "Perseid Meteor Shower 2017: When, Where & How to See It". Space.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ "Perseid Meteor Shower 2016: When, Where & How to See It". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ^ "Meteor Showers 2015". NASA. Retrieved 2015-08-09.
- ^ "Perseids 2014: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2014-08-13. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
- ^ "Perseids 2013: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2013-09-23. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ "Perseids 2012: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2012-10-22. Archived from the original on 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ "Perseids 2011: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2011-10-06. Archived from the original on 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ "How to See the Best Meteor Showers of the Year: Tools, Tips and 'Save the Dates'". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
- ^ "How to See the Best Meteor Showers of the Year: Tools, Tips and 'Save the Dates'". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Perseids 2009: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2010-04-26. Archived from the original on 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ a b "Perseids 2008: visual data quicklook". Imo.net. 2009-06-06. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ a b Perseids 2007: first results Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ EAAS
- ^ "Perseids 2005, visual". IMO.
- ^ 22jul_perseids2005 NASA.gov
- Bibcode:2009JIMO...37..161Z
- Bibcode:1992JIMO...20..192B.
- ^ Bibcode:1883Obs.....6..338C. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ^ "Science: Tears of St. Lawrence". TIME. 1926-08-23. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ (in Italian) Falling stars and coal under the basil www.sanlorenzomaggiore.net
- ^ (in Italian) The Coal of Saint Lawrence balbianblog.blogspot.it
- ^ (in Italian) Castrum Inui www.castruminui.it Archived 2016-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "SHOOTING STARS". utestudents BLOG.
- ^ Annuaire de l'Observatoire Royal de Bruxelles, Volume 4, 1836, p272 (In French)
- ^ a b Sauval, J., "Quetelet and the Discovery of the First Meteor Showers", WGN, Journal of the International Meteor Organization, {25} February 1997, pp 21-33
- ^ "Curious George: Bright Lights Little Monkey".
General and cited references
- Littman, Mark, The Heavens on Fire: The Great Leonid Meteor Storms, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN 0521624053. Chapter 6, "The Discovery of the August Meteors", pp. 83–100.
External links
- Where to see the Perseids and public stargazing events in the UK (Go Stargazing)
- Worldwide viewing times for the 2016 Perseids meteor shower
- All you need to know about the Perseid meteor shower (Paul Sutherland)
- How to photograph the Perseid meteor shower (Skymania)
- Perseid Observing Conditions (The International Project for Radio Meteor Observation)
- 2014 Perseids Radio results (RMOB)
- Perseid Visibility Map (2014 NASA Meteoroid Environment Office)
- 2009 Perseid Meteor Fireball
- NASA website on the Perseid shower of 2009
- Sky & Telescope Magazine – Perseids at Their Prime
- 2012 Image of Perseids emanating from the radiant
- What are the perseids?