Perseids Meteor Shower

 

The first meteor shower that I remember watching was the Perseids Meteor Shower.  It was such an exciting night as I watched the most beautiful streaks of pink and green go across the sky.  They instantly take me back to childhood nights staring up at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star to wish on.  It’s something I don’t think I will ever get tired of.  It’s so exciting to see shooting stars and meteors in the sky.  The Perseids Meteor Shower is now something that I look forward to trying to see every year.

The Perseids meteor shower happens every year in the Summer, mainly in August.  It usually peaks around mid-August. They are available for viewing the entire month of August.  If you can, you want to try to see them at their peak. This year, the peak will be on August 12 – 13th. After that, they tend to start dropping in how frequently they occur.  It’s best to see them in areas of low light pollution, and a clear night makes it a lot easier to see.  This year, the peak is very close to our August Full Moon, making it more difficult to see depending on when you are trying to view the meteor shower. The Moon provides a lot of light in the night sky, as you know. Hopefully, we will all still have a good chance to see some.

The Swift-Tuttle comet is what gives us our Perseids Meteor Shower.  Comets orbit around the sun.  When they get close to the sun, it can melt some of their surface, resulting in the comet releasing dust and rock.  These are usually small and burn up in our atmosphere, but they make a beautiful show for us in the sky to watch! They make these beautiful streaks that seem to glow, not unlike a shooting star.  They can be in varying colors.

The Perseids Meteor Shower was named that because it originates near the Perseus Constellation in the sky.  To find the Perseids meteor shower, you want to locate the Perseus constellation.  You will find it in the Northeastern part of the sky in the Northern Hemisphere. The picture above is what it looks like.   I’ve circled four stars that are the brightest in the constellation. If you are in an area of light pollution, they can help you locate the constellation.

The Perseus constellation was named for the demigod Perseus.  He is the son of Zeus and the mortal  Danaë.  You may be familiar with the story of him killing Medusa. The name Perseids comes from the word Perseides in Greek mythology, meaning the descendants of Perseus.  Earl told me that he read a story that said the meteors are the mortal descendants of Perseus flashing in and out of existence.  I hope you get to see them!

Have an amazingly magickal day!

Much Love and Many Blessings,

Jasmeine Moonsong