New York: The Perseid meteor shower is set to light up the Northern Hemisphere, offering travellers and skywatchers an opportunity to see the annual celestial event.
The meteor shower will peak from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Viewing conditions are expected to be particularly favourable this year, with the moon in its new moon phase, meaning there will be little moonlight to interfere with the display.
Under ideal conditions, as many as 50 to 100 meteors an hour could be visible, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society estimates that observers in rural areas could see 30 to 50 meteors per hour.
For travellers planning to watch the shower, the best locations are places with dark skies, away from city lights and areas with frequent cloud cover. The best viewing period will be between midnight and dawn, when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky.
The meteors appear to radiate from Perseus, although they can be seen across the sky. Observers should allow their eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness and avoid looking at their phones while watching the sky.
The Perseids are produced when Earth passes through debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The debris enters Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds, creating the streaks of light commonly known as shooting stars.
The meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,000 years and remains popular partly because it can produce bright fireballs. Its occurrence during summer also makes outdoor viewing more comfortable than many winter meteor showers.
Astronomer Zach Vanderbosch of McDonald Observatory in Texas said viewers do not have to endure a cold winter night to watch the meteors.
Astronomer Aparna Venkatesan of the University of San Francisco said the new moon phase would provide better viewing conditions because there would be no moonlight flooding the sky.
For those planning a trip, the key is to find a location with clear skies, minimal artificial light and an unobstructed view of the night sky. The Perseids can be viewed without special equipment, making the meteor shower an accessible option for travellers looking for a night-sky experience.
