Today, the meteor swarm of Perseus culminates. This way you can watch and take pictures with your smartphone

We in the newsroom are enthusiasts of technology and nature, so I couldn’t help but write an article about a beautiful celestial phenomenon called Perseids. Perseids are an annual phenomenon that takes place from the end of July to the end of August. It is actually the period of the brightest and most frequent fall of stars of the year.

The Perseids got their name from the place where you can see them appear – from the constellation called Perseus.

Why do we actually see Perseids every year, at about the same time?

Because the orbit of our planet intersects with the orbit of Comet 109P, from which the particles enter our atmosphere and burn.

When is the largest number of meteorites expected?

The largest number of freely visible meteors can be observed on the night of August 12-13, from today until tomorrow. After midnight, it will be possible to see up to about 100 meteors per hour.

Best time to track falling debris?

After midnight until sunrise, ie until about 05:30. However, they will be visible sooner. Watching is possible with the naked eye from the balcony of your block of flats. Light smog will be an obstacle for photographers.

If the moon is shining, try to avoid it

The moon illuminates the night sky and would deprive you of the experience. It would be best if you could hide it, for example behind a tree. Please stand with your back to the moon.

If you can’t watch them on August 12 or 13, don’t despair

Perzeids are still in the sky in similar numbers for 10 days after this date. So even if it should rain or be cloudy, you will definitely be able to do it for at least one night.

Be sure to find at least an hour to watch the sky

Perseids do not fall all the time, but rather fall at different times. Sometimes you will see 10 per minute, other times maybe only 1 or 2.

How to find them in the sky?

First, you need to find the constellation “Perseus” in your location. It should be located northeast of your location. For a more precise focus, visit this page and choose the date and place of observation on it. On the constellation timeline, select the time you are about to observe the stars.

The green circle represents the place from where they will seem to come to us into the atmosphere.

How to observe and photograph Perseids?

Be sure to leave the town or village in which you live and venture into nature as far away from light smog as possible. This reduces your chance of seeing as many falling fragments as possible.

You will probably need a tripod, even if your phone has good optical image stabilization. This and a bunch of other tips can be found in the article How to create a night photo. Also see our older article for even more detailed information on how to take pictures of the night sky.

If you do not want to take pictures of them, you do not need any special equipment for observation. I have experienced that you will see enough with your own eyes. Just take a chair, armchair or blanket. Be sure to dress warmer, it is quite cold after midnight.

Enjoy it and look forward to your photos

We will be happy if you share them with us in PHOTO mania, on our Facebook or Instagram. We will definitely look at each of your photos.