Introduction

The annual meteor showers in summer is quite a big event for astronomy enthusiasts and nature lovers. The Perseid meteors is probably the most popular meteor shower during this time for its rich fireballs. If you’re looking for things to do, here’s when and where to observe the meteors close to Kaohsiung this year.

The Meteors

The Perseid meteor shower started on July 13 and will go on until August 26. Up to 150 shooting stars will be visible hourly on August 12 and 13.

The Aquarius meteor shower started on July 21 and will go on until August 23, with the peak nights on July 28 and 29. Around 60 shooting stars per hours.

Both meteors are visible through naked eyes.

Best time to see the most shooting stars

As many people choose to spend nights outdoors and look for the meteors anytime in the evening, experts suggest to stay up late (after 10pm) to maximize the chances. “The best time to see shooting stars is when your location is firmly on the night side of Earth as our planet is busting into the meteor shower streams in space.”

Unfortunately, this year the moon will be very close to the full on the Perseid peak nights. “It won’t be a total wash-out, because the Perseids are rich in bright meteors, but the moonlight is going to spoil most of the show,” said Cooke, NASA meteor expert. An easy solution can be just try to find the darkest possible skies and lean back to observe skies directly above you.

2019 Summer Meteor Shower
Date: July & August
Location: Anywhere away from city glow
Travel package: Kentington Resort, Pingtung

Source & cover picture: NASA

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