SHOOTING STARS. The Perseids, a shower of shooting stars that returns every August, are currently observable in the sky. Here are some tips to make the most of it.
[Updated Aug 21, 2023 4:14 PM] The Perseids are observable until Thursday, August 24. To make the most of the event, you will have to look up at the sky after sunset, around 10:30 p.m., in order to take advantage of a dark sky.
If some shooting stars are not very bright or the area you are in is not perfectly clear, the Perseid shooting star shower should still give you a good show. Where and how to observe them? Telescope, binoculars or even with the naked eye… which equipment should be preferred? We tell you all about this astronomical meeting which promises beautiful nights and many wishes!
No danger or need for special equipment! Shooting stars are visible to everyone with the naked eye. So no need to get out the binoculars or the telescope, given the high speed at which fireballs pass through the Earth’s atmosphere (an average of 50 km/second). About a quarter of shooting stars leave visible trails for several seconds. To be able to observe a shower of shooting stars in an optimal way, the sky must not be obscured by clouds, or by light pollution. To find your way around more easily, you can use a mobile application such as Sky Tonight available on Google Play or the App Store, which will allow you to identify the constellations and their position in the sky.
Qu’est-ce que les Perséides ?
Made up of debris from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, the Perseid meteor shower is the most famous of the year because it is one of the most active. This meteor shower in the constellation Perseus extends from July 17 to August 24, with peak activity on the night of August 12-14. It is the most spectacular of them all, with 100 observable shooting stars per hour, an average of one shooting star per minute!
After the Perseids, several major stellar rendezvous of shooting stars take place during the 2023/2024 calendar. Check out the most notable meteor showers that appear in the sky throughout the year, in chronological order of appearance below:
