A frequent and eagerly awaited celestial phenomenon connected to the comet Swift-Tuttle is the Perseids meteor shower. This meteor shower is renowned for its stunning display of rapid, bright meteors that frequently leave long "wakes" of color and light as they fly through the atmosphere of Earth. The Perseid meteor shower, which has a peak in activity around the middle of August each year, is regarded as one of the best meteor showers of the year. From July 14 to September 1, the shower is active, with its peak meteor count occurring around August 13.
Since the meteors appear to emanate from the general direction of the constellation Perseus, the term "Perseids" was coined. The Perseids' radiant point has recently been seen to be close to the constellations Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis. The radiant point is where meteors appear to originate in the sky, and in the case of the Perseids, it is where the meteors shoot out.
Comets are the reason for meteor showers: Small bodies known as comets are mostly made of ice with a small amount of sand or pebbles. The heat from the Sun causes the ice on a comet to vaporize, spewing forth dust particles.
The Perseid meteor shower is associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle.
As the comet travels through the solar system, material spreads out throughout its orbit and accumulates to form a debris trail, giving the comet's orbit an elliptical shape. This track travels along an elliptical course that passes across the Earth's orbit and those of other planets.
The Perseid cloud, which is the stream of debris from the comet, stretches along the orbit of the comet. The dimensions of the cloud near Earth are approximately 0.1 AU across and 0.8 AU along the Earth's orbit.
Every year, the Earth travels along the same cometary debris path as it completes its yearly orbit around the Sun. All meteors in a meteor shower appear to radiate from this junction point, which is known as the radiant.
The shower is visible from mid-July to early September, with the peak in activity between August 9 and 14
The tiny particles of dust that enter the Earth's atmosphere hit with the air molecules, generating friction and heat as they burn up. The particles become incandescent and burn up as a result of the heat, producing the meteor—a streak of light.
The visible rate of meteors is greatest in the pre-dawn hours, and the peak rate can reach 60 or more per hour.
The greatest times to watch meteor showers are on moonless nights: It is better to watch meteor showers on nights without the moon because meteors are faint relative to the Moon. Less apparent fainter meteors may be washed away by the Moon's brightness. The finest viewing conditions can be found by seeking out a dark spot away from city lights.
Reason for viewing it in moonless nights
The Perseids are primarily visible in the Northern Hemisphere. - The name Perseid is derived from the sons of Perseus in Greek mythology. The Catholic tradition refers to the Perseids as the "tears of Saint Lawrence" and associates them with the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence on August 10