Perseid meteor shower to peak tonight alongside northern lights
The biggest meteor shower of 2024 is expected to peak on Sunday night, coinciding with a rare showing of the northern lights. The Perseid meteor shower has been visible since mid-July but will reach its peak on the night of August 11, with up to 100 ‘shooting stars’ appearing each hour until dawn.
At the same time, space weather forecasters have predicted that sightings of the aurora borealis will be possible in northerly parts of the UK and some US states following a major solar storm. The US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said that two plumes of plasma, known as coronal mass ejections, will hit the Earth’s atmosphere just as the Perseids are reaching their peak.
The best time to see the meteor shower is in the pre-dawn hours before sunrise, when the Moon sets at midnight and warm conditions make it an ideal opportunity. Scientists from Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) advise heading to an area with minimal light pollution and avoiding looking at screens or other bright objects to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Amateur astronomer Steve Brown recommends letting your vision adapt to the dark for around 20 minutes and using a red torch to navigate the darkness in order to not impede your natural night vision. He also advises lying down on the ground or on a garden recliner to prevent neck strain and looking at around 45 degrees up from the horizon and either due south or west to see the most meteors.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs as the Earth passes through the tail of the Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing debris to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere at temperatures of up to 1,650 degrees Celsius.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/perseid-meteor-shower-2024-tonight-b2594738.html