Perseids Meteor shower 2020: Everything you need to know about the celestial event

Team Udayavani, Aug 13, 2020, 12:32 PM IST

The Perseids meteor shower is going to be active from August 17-26. It is believed to be one of the best meteor showers of 2020. Star Gazers can watch it with the naked eye and would not require any special tool.

According to Space.com, The Perseids are bits of the comet Swift-Tuttle and often create the most amazing meteor shower of the year, although this year its splendor will be dampened slightly by a bright moon.

Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, takes 133 years to complete one rotation around the sun.

Perseids are possessed with fast and bright meteors. They leave behind long streaks of colour and light behind them as they pass through the earth’s atmosphere.

Perseid meteoroids  are fast and they enter Earth’s atmosphere at roughly 133,200 mph (60 kilometers per second) relative to the planet.

Although, Perseid Meteor Shower reached its peak on August 12, Wednesday, people can also catch up with the event on August 13. It is said that the meteor showers can be viewed as early as 10 pm. Further, meteors are best visible on a cloudless night, when the sky is visible and when the Moon is not extremely bright.