100 Shooting Stars per Hour: GCC Residents to Witness One of the Most Stunning Meteor Showers This Week
Get ready to be dazzled by a celestial spectacle this weekend. The Perseids Meteor Shower, known for being one of the most impressive annual meteor displays, is taking place this week and GCC residents have the opportunity to witness them with the naked eye on both Saturday and Sunday.
According to an astronomy group, the 2023 Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. It is expected that the Perseids this year will produce up to 100 meteors per hour at a dark site. This year, it peaks right before a new Moon, meaning the skies will be particularly dark, which is ideal for viewing.
As the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, it creates a mesmerizing display of shooting stars that streak across the heavens. The comet, which last passed close to Earth in 1992, left behind bits of ice and rock. Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth and is next expected to pass close by in 2126
To best see the Perseids, residents have been advised to go to the darkest possible location. According to the source, those wanting to see the spectacle won’t need any telescopes or binoculars. However, it is important to reach early and allow about 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the dark. Skywatchers have been advised to keep the heat and humidity in mind when preparing for the event.
There have been several celestial spectacles this year visible to GCC residents. In June, the June Bootod meteor produced a magnificent meteor shower. In March, five planets, including Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Mars lined up together in a small section of the sky. Earlier this year, GCC residents also got the rare chance to witness Comet 2022 E3 which passed close to the Earth for the first time in 50,000 years.
