Well, although I hate the summer heat we experienced in the south of Spain acknowledge that August is a good thing, at least for amateur astronomers: the annual meteor shower, the "Perseids", also called "Tears of St. Lawrence." Despite being only one of many annual meteor showers, is the most popular and most seen in the northern hemisphere.
While 1972 was the year with more meteors per hour since it was first posted, the 2010 looks to be a good year, better even than 2004. Maximum activity will be between 30m 23h 12 02h 00m August and 13 August UT (Universal Time always, so surely we have to add one or two hours to Spain). The fact that the moon is New Moon phase few days before help you see more meteors, since the light does not blind us to the moon.
The Perseids are so called because its radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to radiate all) is from our point of view in the constellation Perseus, the hero who rescued Andromeda and Medusa ended, but in fact occur when the Earth passes through the particle cloud left by the comet Swift-Tuttle each time it passes through this area as it orbits around the Sun every bit more 133 years.
This meteor shower is also known as the "Tears of St. Lawrence." Tradition has it that, when Rome ordered the execution of Pope Victor II, demanded all the relics and treasures of the Church Deacon Lorenzo, who lers presented what he considered as riches and relics, the sick, poor, etc.. This angered the Roman emperor, who ordered him to be executed on a rack, burned slowly to death. The night of his death coincided with the rain of stars, but it was not until the Middle Ages and the Renaissance that was associated with the Perseids with the tears shed by San Lorenzo at the stake.
While 1972 was the year with more meteors per hour since it was first posted, the 2010 looks to be a good year, better even than 2004. Maximum activity will be between 30m 23h 12 02h 00m August and 13 August UT (Universal Time always, so surely we have to add one or two hours to Spain). The fact that the moon is New Moon phase few days before help you see more meteors, since the light does not blind us to the moon.
The Perseids are so called because its radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to radiate all) is from our point of view in the constellation Perseus, the hero who rescued Andromeda and Medusa ended, but in fact occur when the Earth passes through the particle cloud left by the comet Swift-Tuttle each time it passes through this area as it orbits around the Sun every bit more 133 years. This meteor shower is also known as the "Tears of St. Lawrence." Tradition has it that, when Rome ordered the execution of Pope Victor II, demanded all the relics and treasures of the Church Deacon Lorenzo, who lers presented what he considered as riches and relics, the sick, poor, etc.. This angered the Roman emperor, who ordered him to be executed on a rack, burned slowly to death. The night of his death coincided with the rain of stars, but it was not until the Middle Ages and the Renaissance that was associated with the Perseids with the tears shed by San Lorenzo at the stake.
I will do my best to enjoy the shower of stars in a place away from urban cores, and I recommend the same, is a show that one can not lose.
Greetings!
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