Astronomy enthusiasts, keep your eyes peeled as there will be a meteor shower over the next few days.
The Perseid meteor shower will be gracing the skies of Singapore on Wednesday (9 Aug) — just in time for National Day.
It will be at its brightest on Saturday (12 Aug) and Sunday (13 Aug).
Those who wish to catch the phenomenon should view them from an open area with less light pollution between 4am to 6am on those dates.
According to Stargazing Singapore, the best observation dates for the Perseids are Wednesday (9 Aug), Saturday (12 Aug), and Sunday (13 Aug), with the latter two dates being the brightest.
In a media statement, the Science Centre Observatory said that this is one of the world’s brightest meteor showers.
As such, it may be visible in Singapore with the naked eye under fair weather conditions.
The Perseid meteor shower typically occurs annually between mid-July and late August. This year, these showers began on 17 July and will last until 24 Aug.
It will peak at 4am on Sunday (13 Aug), when its namesake constellation Perseus is sufficiently high above the horizon. That is when you can spot the most number of meteors.
In Singapore, it is not easy to spot this celestial event due to the country’s viewing conditions, the observatory said.
However, people in Singapore may still be able to see it with their naked eye if there is no light pollution and cloud cover.
Source: Stargazing Singapore on Facebook
You can best see the meteor shower from open areas with unblocked surroundings and minimal light pollution. These include places such as nature parks, beaches, and reservoirs.
The observatory also recommends that you avoid gazing directly at the Perseus constellation.
Instead, you should focus on the dark areas around it as that is where you may be able to spot the streaks of the meteors.
The Science Centre Observatory shared that the Perseid showers happen when Earth passes through a trail of space debris that Comet Swift-Tuttle left behind.
Comet Swift-Tuttle is a large comet discovered in 1862. The last time the comet passed close to Earth was in 1992.
The Perseid meteor shower comes in the midst of two supermoons that are taking place in August, the second of which will be a blue moon on 31 Aug.
If, somehow, you miss the Perseid display, the next major meteor shower that may be visible in Singapore is the Geminids.
Happening in December, the Geminids is the biggest and most spectacular meteor shower.
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Featured image adapted from NASA.
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