Astronomy - Look at the night sky: starbursts are shining again
For a brief moment, they light up the night sky - but with a bit of luck and clear visibility, several shooting stars are expected to be seen in the coming days. The Perseid meteor shower reliably puts on a cosmic spectacle in August.
A peak is expected on August 12th. In the two nights before and after, an observer might spot 30 to 40 shooting stars per hour, according to Naturwacht Westhavelland. The Westhavelland Nature Park offers good conditions for the meteor shower spectacle, as it has a particularly dark night sky, similar to the Kyritz-Ruppiner Heath. The Heinz Sielmann Foundation there also expects excellent conditions for the meteor nights. The Kyritz-Ruppiner Heath is far away from artificial light sources.
In the future, it also aims to be certified as an internationally recognized starlight park. The Westhavelland Nature Park was recognized as the first starlight park in Germany ten years ago. Many stargazers are expected there on August 11th and 12th to observe shooting stars while picnicking on a meadow in the village of Parey (Havelaue). In Potsdam, the Urania Planetarium invites to a lecture about the meteor night on August 12th.
The Perseids are one of the most well-known meteor showers. They are named after the constellation Perseus, from which they appear to come. Their true cause is that the Earth crosses the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle on its journey around the sun and encounters the particles it has scattered. These particles burn up as bright shooting stars when they enter the Earth's atmosphere.
The Westhavelland Nature Park, known for its dark night sky, is expected to provide an optimal viewing experience for the predicted 30 to 40 shooting stars per hour during the Perseid meteor shower. With clear visibility, the following nights will offer a fantastic opportunity to witness this cosmic event.
As mentioned earlier, the Perseids meteor shower is a result of Earth crossing the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, leading to the appearance of hundreds of shooting stars across the night sky.
