Perseid Meteor Shower Visible In Singapore This August 2024

The latest celestial phenomenon coming to our little red dot will be the Perseids meteor shower that is projected to peak from 12 to 13 August 2024. One of the world’s brighter meteor showers, the Perseids meteor shower may be visible in Singapore with the naked eye under fair weather conditions. The shower is caused when Earth passes through a trail of space debris left behind by a large comet and viewers may be able to see bright meteor streaks flash across the sky.

Meteor Shower - Pixabay Image credit: Pixabay

In anticipation of this phenomenon, Science Centre Observatory has put some FAQs, to address various questions on the phenomenon and share more about its origins.

1. What are meteors and where do they come from?

Meteors are rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds that causes the light around them to glow and burn up. These are the streaks of light that one may see going across the sky in matter of seconds. They are also often referred to as “shooting stars”.

Meteors are within our solar system. They can originate from various sources – such as comets, asteroids, and other planets.

2. What is the difference between a meteor, a meteorite, and a meteoroid?

When a part of an asteroid breaks off and it is still in space, it becomes a meteoroid. When the meteoroid is in Earth’s atmosphere, it becomes a meteor.

If a part of the meteor survives its journey through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface, it is called a meteorite.

3. What is a meteor shower and how often do they occur?

A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or come from, from one point in the night sky. Meteor showers are formed when the Earth travels through a cloud of interplanetary debris left behind from the tail of a comet or asteroid that has thrown out large amounts of materials.

While the Earth orbits the Sun and crosses into these dust streams or debris trails, the materials collide into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, leaving a streak in the sky which is what we see as meteors.

Earth goes through these dust streaks every year, so we can predict when these meteor showers happen on an annual basis.

Perseid Meteor Shower taking place this August 2024

1. What is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

The Perseid Meteor Shower (pronounced: pur-see-ids) is one of the most well-known meteor showers, renowned for their bright meteors and high rates of activity.

It is also considered one of the best meteor showers of the year as the meteors frequently leave streaks of light and colour behind them as they move through Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Why is this meteor shower called Perseids?

The shower is named after where the meteors appear to radiate from, which in this case is the constellation Perseus.

3. When will the Perseid meteor shower take place?

The Perseid meteor shower is visible between July to August, but it is expected to peak on August 12 to 13.

4. How often does the Perseid meteor shower take place?

The Perseid meteor shower is active every year from mid-July to late August.

5. What causes the Perseid meteor shower?

The Perseid meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

As Earth intersects this trail each August, particles from the comet enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burn up, creating the bright streaks of light we know as meteors.

6. What can we expect to see during the Perseid meteor shower?

At the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, we can expect to see up to 50-100 meteors per hour, with bright and fast-moving streaks across the sky.

7. Is there anything else that is interesting about the Perseid meteor shower?

Though the Perseids occur every year, the stage is already set for a potential Perseid meteor storm in 2028, where we can expect more meteors than usual.

Globally, the Perseid meteor shower is considered by astronomers, stargazers, and nature lovers to be one of the more plentiful meteor showers that occurs each year, as the shower has nearly 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour.

8. How can I get the best view of this occurrence in Singapore?

Light pollution in Singapore can affect visibility of this occurrence and it can be challenging to view it due to the country’s frequent cloud cover and light pollution. As such, it is recommended to find darker locations with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky such as parks, beaches, reservoirs, or open spaces away from city lights.

It is also recommended to check the weather forecast for clear skies as cloud cover can affect visibility.

9. Is any special equipment required to view this?

No special equipment is required to view the Perseid meteor shower as they can be seen with the naked eye. Their bright and fast streaks make telescopes and binoculars unnecessary.

10. What are some additional upcoming celestial events to watch out for?

We can expect to witness several other celestial events this year such as the Sturgeon Moon on August 20, the Harvest Moon on September 18, the Hunter’s Moon on October 17, and the Geminids meteor shower which is expected to peak on the night between Dec 13 and 14.

Contributed by Science Centre Observatory.

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