Annual Perseid meteor shower is almost here, know how and when to watch

Image credit: NASA

New Delhi: It's again the time of the year when you can witness one of the most amazing spatial events of our universe, the meteor shower, specifically the Perseid meteor shower.

The Perseid meteor shower is special because as it  Perseids delivers more bright meteors (those that outshine any star) than any other annual meteor shower.

The Perseid meteor shower is set to peak from tonight and you can watch several shooting hours. So if You are planning to witness the incredible show of the universe then you don't need any high-end equipment. All you need to do is just find a dark spot away from bright lights with a wide-open view all around if possible.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks this week! Clear and dark skies will help you view them, but you can also watch them on our @NASA_Marshall livestream: https://t.co/WaOPyLFbVL

 : @NASAHQPhoto pic.twitter.com/oZrHdoPZL8 — NASA (@NASA) August 10, 2021

The right time:

The Perseids will be best visible during the early hours before dawn on Thursday, August 12. The meteor show will be at its visible best in the same timeframe all through this week.

While hours before dawn (around 4 to 5 am) would be the best time to watch, you can spot Perseids as early as 10 pm in the night, when the evening twilight subsides. By this time, the point of origin of the meteors from our perspective (known as radiant, explained later) is above the horizon in the northeastern direction.

As per NASA, more than 40 Perseids can be spotted in an hour’s time during the next few days.

The right location:

If you wish to witness the incredible meteor shower perfectly you must find a place that is far away from the lights. The darker the spot the brighter the chances to see maximum shooting stars. 

So if you live in the middle of the city where even nights are as bright as days because of the lights, we advise you to drive someplace away from lights to have a delight sight of the Perseid.