Space Fireworks: How to Watch the Perseids Meteor Shower
Get your blankets ready for some an annual sky show. The most impressive and beloved Perseids meteor shower is just few days away. The greatest number of falling stars are expected on the Tuesday night/Wednesday morning of August 11/12 (fewer falling stars can be observed up to August 17th), when the Earth gets close to the core orbit of comet Swift-Tuttle.
This celestial event has inspired millions for thousands of years. It mesmerizes and inspires. It makes us realize the whole beauty of our planet and the Universe.
Before we get down to tips on Perseids-watching and ways to photograph a meteor shower, let’s take a look what is a falling star and what it has to do with a comet Swift-Tuttle.
Are the stars really falling?
Yes and no. There is definitely something falling (we’ll get to that in a second) but these are not the stars. The objects that light-up and colorfully travel across the night sky are meteoroids - particles, dust, and small rocks. They are as small as a grain of sand that strike at high speed the Earth’s atmosphere. As they hit the atmosphere, they start to discharge the energy and turn into brightly colored fireballs.
What causes the Perseid meteor shower?
Every year, from the middle of July till August 24th, our planet crosses the orbital path of comet Swift Tuttle. So when the Earth is moving through streams of debris (dust and small rocks) left behind, our sky starts bursting out with “space fireworks”. The meteoroids slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at some 210 000 km per hour or around 60 kilometers per second.
How to best watch the space show?
No equipment or knowledge needed besides knowing where Northeast is. That is the direction you should face for stargazing. The meteor come from constellation Perseus.
Find a clear dark night sky. Preferable outside of city lights. If there is no opportunity to stay after the midnight – no worries. In fact, this year it is better to watch it before midnight as the moon is slightly past its last quarter and very bright, thus may mar the view. So, plan your stargazing party to happen before the moon rises.
Give yourself at least 1 hour observing time. Meteor showers come in spurts. Also remember not to rush the process. Give yourself at least 20 minutes in the beginning to let your eyes adapt to the darkness of night. One more crucial tip, do not look too often at your phone as you need dark-adapted eyes.
Make yourself comfortable either in a lawn chair or a blanket, find a company and grab like a thermos filled with a hot drink.
Patience. Remember that all good things come to those who wait. So, relax and look at the sky.
Capturing Perseids with your camera
The key to photographing a meteor shower is a steady camera and long exposure.
First, place your camera or smartphone on a tripod. Hand-holding won’t work as you'll be taking 30-second exposures.
If you are planning on using DSLR a camera, use the widest lens you have.
Set the camera to shoot 30-second exposures ... continuously. Use burst mode for action photography.
Smartphone camera isn't ideal. But chances are high that you will capture few ‘falling stars’ as smartphones have evolved and became more sophisticated. Many phones have ‘pro mode’ that will allow you to set an aperture shutter speed or have a preset ‘night mode’ with long exposures. Dig into your phone camera settings to check it out.
Take photos often, even if you do not spot any meteors with your eyes. Do not try to catch the one you see. Just relax, watch the sky and press that shutter often. Also make sure you have enough of storage space on your phone or camera card memory.
We would love to find out about your experience of watching Perseids meteor shower. Make sure to post photos of your stargazing party and photos of meteors you capture. Tag us in IG @amhousekyiv or FB @americahousekyiv
Have a mesmerizing experience!
ABOUT AUTHOR
Olha Harbovska is America House Communications Manager. She is Future Leaders Exchange program alumna and received MA in Translation Studies and Contrastive Linguistics from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv.