What is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

About Perseid Meteor Shower: 

• The name Perseid is believed to be derived from the Perseus constellation.
• It peaks during mid-August each year and is considered to be among the best meteor showers. Perseids, usually swift and bright, leave a trail of light and colour behind them as they traverse through the night sky.
• It is also one of the most plentiful showers with nearly 100 meteors seen per hour.
• The Perseids are special because they often generate fireballs.
• Fireballs are big bursts of light and color that last longer than a regular shooting star.
• This happens because fireballs come from larger pieces of material from comets.

Key facts about Meteor Shower

• A meteor is a space rock that comes into Earth's atmosphere.
• As it falls, the air makes it really hot because of the friction.
• The bright streak we see is not the rock itself, but the hot air around it.
• When many space rocks hit the atmosphere over Earth together, we call it a meteor shower.
• These meteors travel at incredible speeds, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers per hour before disintegrating due to the intense heat generated by friction with the atmosphere.

Q1: What is a comet?

A comet is a celestial object composed of ice, dust, rock, and various volatile compounds that orbits the Sun in an elongated or elliptical path.

Source: Perseid meteor shower 2024 peaks this weekend: The origin story and how to watch it live