Perseid meteor shower 2021: Can one watch the shining celestial event in India?

The Perseid Meteor shower holds its spot among the most amazing and unique celestial events in the world. It will be visible on the night of August 11, 12 and 13. People residing in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to enjoy this event. Appearing as fireballs that glow in the night sky, these meteors leave behind a dusty trail every year as Earth passes through its debris field. 

What is Perseid's Meteor Shower?

This sudden onset of meteor showers that range between 15 to 200 in a span of few hours is considered one of the brightest events in the skies. People residing in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to watch the annual event with their naked eyes. Perseids come from leftover comet particles and a bit of broken asteroids. According to astronomers, the event will probably produce the greatest number of meteors on August 11, 12 and 13. The best time to watch this be between midnight to dawn on these days. According to Earthsky.org, people will be able to watch up to 60 meteors per hour at the peak of the event.

While the event is subjected to peak on August 11-13, the meteors and the trails will be visible for another 10 days between midnight and dawn. NASA suggested that the best view would be witnessed during ore dawn hours on August 12. Midnight to dawn on any morning of the week or after will also view a few meteors. Perseid comes from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle that orbits around Sun once every 133 years and is named after Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle who first spotted it in 1862. The comet is almost twice the size of the asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Can Indians watch the Perseid Meteor Shower? 

Unfortunately, Indians will not be able to watch the shower physically but NASA has uploaded a live stream link -- https://go.nasa.gov/3lVdz5g. This link can be used to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower 2021 and that too through the comfort of your cellular devices.

Although people living in the Northern Hemisphere can watch the event away from the bright city lights where there is darkness so that the glowing meteors are not obscured. Moonlight is a concern for stargazers interested in catching the glimpse of the perseids. To watch the meteor shower one must avoid bright lights as much as possible and give their eyes some time to adjust to the dark. NASA in a statement mentioned, "The Perseids generally appear to radiate from a point high in the North direction, termed as the 'radiant'. But you only need to point yourself towards the north and lookup. Stargazers may also get a glimpse of stray meteors from the Delta Aquariid meteor showers." 

Image Credits - UNSPLASH