This year, the Perseids meteor shower will peak 11th-13th August, with dozens of shooting stars visible as they enter our atmosphere during the shower’s peak, reaching up to 100 per hour.
To celebrate the phenomenon, on Friday 11th August, the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) invites the public to join them and their co-organisers Riverland Bio Farm for an evening of astronomical activities under the dark starry skies of the countryside.
A CSEO press release says that “CSEO President George Danos and the Organisation’s scientists will be on hand to offer a guided tour of the planets and constellations of the night sky so bring a cushion or picnic blanket for comfort”. Guests are also welcome to bring their own telescopes.
For those who wish to combine the night with some further astronomical education, CSEO will be screening a number of space-related documentaries (visit www.facebook.com/events/820032102829137 for the screening schedule).
The Perseids meteor shower is an annual phenomenon active between mid-July and the end of August. It was first observed in 36AD and is so named as the meteors appear to originate from the constellation of Perseus. Their actual origin is Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle which takes 133 years to orbit the Sun and, with a diameter of 26 km, is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by our planet.
Once a year, Earth passes through the densest part of the comet’s trail of debris and, as these pieces collide with our atmosphere and burn up, fiery meteors can be observed when they are at around 95 km above the ground. The numbers are astounding: Perseids hit the Earth’s atmosphere at over 214,000 km/h and burn at temperatures exceeding 1,650 degrees Celsius and most are the size of grains of sand but a few are as large as marbles.
Viewing the Perseids can sometimes be impeded by the phase of the Moon, such as last year’s full moon which coincided with the meteor shower’s peak and obscured many of the lesser streaks. This year, the Moon will be in its waning crescent phase, providing just over 15% illumination and promising a much better show, CSEO says.
It notes that entrance is free and everybody is welcome, while refreshments and snacks will be available for purchase at Riverland Bio Farm’s kiosk but attendees are also welcome to bring their own.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/820032102829137
The event’s media sponsor is the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).
Source: Cyprus News Agency