What are the Perseids?
It is a shower of meteorites from comet Swift-Tuttle that crashes into the earth from the last weeks of May until mid-August.
The Earth crosses the cloud of cosmic dust released by the comet when it approaches the Sun and the meteorites collide at speeds of 120,000 kilometers per hour against the Earth’s atmosphere. They then disintegrate at 5,000 degrees Celsius and ‘slip’ on this protective layer, giving the impression that they are bright shooting stars streaking across the sky.
Comet Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1962 and takes 133 years to orbit the Sun. In fact, the last time it passed through the inner solar system, where the Earth is located, was in 1992.
In its wake, it leaves a trail of cosmic debris, such as meteorites, creating a spectrum through which the Earth passes each year.
The Perseids would come from the constellation of Perseus or Perseus, hence its name. Perseus, it should be remembered, is the mythological hero who beheaded Medusa.
Specifically, within the Perseus constellation is the star Algol, one of the best known eclipsing binaries.
The day of San Lorenzo, who was burned on a grill, coincides with the fall of the meteor shower, hence it is known as ‘Tears of San Lorenzo’.
When is the Perseid Meteor Shower?
In 2022, the Perseid meteor shower can be seen from the last days of July until August 24.
However, the days on which the most shooting stars will fall will be during the nights of August 11 to 13. And, according to NASA, the hours before sunrise are the best to see the meteor shower.