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Those who looked up at the night sky on Tuesday night were lucky enough to spot numerous shooting stars. The luckiest among them might have even caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights, as a spokesperson for the Hamburg Observatory told the German Press Agency. Staff from the university or the observatory had taken photos of the lilac-colored starry sky just before midnight.
The Perseids, one of the most well-known meteor showers, reached their peak on Monday night. They occur when Earth crosses the orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and encounters the debris it has left behind, which then burns up as bright shooting stars as they enter Earth's atmosphere.
Shooting stars continue
Those who haven't seen any yet can still hope for the next few nights: "The peak is over, but there will still be many shooting stars tonight. That's still quite good," said Director Björn Voss from the Planetarium Hamburg to dpa.
For Wednesday night, the astrophysicist and astronomer recommended the second half of the night for observing the night sky. "The moon sets around 0.30 AM." Then, there could be shooting stars every minute.
There will still be a chance to observe shooting stars in the coming days until the end of the week, although they will become less frequent with each night. "You just have to stay up longer to make it worthwhile," said Voss. The reason is that the moon sets later each night.
Milky Way well visible
But there's more to see in the night sky besides shooting stars, said astronomer Voss. "Until the end of the month, the moon will be gone, and then the Milky Way will be well visible in dark places. In the early morning, you can also see a beautiful constellation - Jupiter and Mars are very close together."
Northern Lights could also be possible in the coming weeks, although Voss couldn't say for sure. They are not as precisely predictable as, for example, planetary constellations. However, for tonight, it's clear: "Unfortunately, there are no signs of Northern Lights yet."
Both around the Hamburg Observatory in the Bergedorf district and around the Planetarium in the Stadtpark, there are numerous places dark enough for observing the night sky.
The Northern Lights, while not visible tonight, might make an appearance in the coming weeks, offering a chance to witness the polar light. If fortunate enough, stargazers could potentially witness both shooting stars and the aurora borealis in a single night, once the moon sets, allowing for a clear view of the night sky.
