The night of the Perseids arrives. And it is not that of San Lorenzo

In 2021, the peak of the maximum activity of the meteor shower is expected between the night of 12 and 13 August. Tips for enjoying the heavenly spectacle

(Photo: Michał Mancewicz on Unsplash) They have been shining for a while and will still shine until towards the end of the month. But the peak will be precisely these days: the night between 12 and 13 August to be exact. They are, needless to say, the Perseids, the astronomical event of the summer. The show for the "daughters" of comet Swift-Tuttle - it is the debris left by it that gives rise to these shooting stars - promises to be propitious this year.

The meteor shower of the Perseids always gives enough satisfaction, it was not because everyone knows the tears of San Lorenzo and knows that these are the good days to be with the nose up and because in summer it happens more often to spend time outdoors in the evening, and thus increase the chance to see something shine in the sky. But, occasions aside, obviously meteorological situations, light pollution and lunar disturbance also count. This year, for example, the peak will occur at a small crescent moon. But not only that, they add from the Italian Amateur Union: the maximum is expected in the first part of the evening. Although the radiant, in the constellation of Perseus, remains visible all night, higher on the horizon in the early morning, experts explain.

What maximum are we talking about? It is difficult to say the numerical terms, but the Perseids can "rain" even with rates of over one hundred meteors per hour, with long light trails, they note from NASA. Which still remembers: the Perseids can give rise to particularly bright shooting stars, due to debris larger than others, the so-called fireballs. Ready to count wishes? You could add up to the 24th of the month, when the activity of this swarm will cease. But increase the chances by choosing, if possible, clear skies and little polluted.


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