Context
The Perseid meteor shower, which is an annual celestial event, is expected to reach its peak.
About Perseid meteor shower
- The Perseidsare prolific types of meteor shower which are associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle.
- The meteors are called Perseids as the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus.
- The Perseid meteor shower will be visible in the northern hemisphere and down to mid-southern latitudes.
- These Meteors are caused due to the tiny, sandgrain- to pea-size bits of dusty debris that strikes the top of Earth's atmosphere roughly 130 km up.
- The debris has deposited the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle.
- Every year, Earth passes through this region of the “river of rubble” around July 17 and continues till August 24.
- Faint Perseids appear as tiny, quick streaks.
- They sail across the sky for several seconds and leave a brief train of glowing smoke.
- Perseids deliver more bright meteors than any other annual meteor shower.
- The stream of debris is called the Perseid cloud that stretches along the orbit of the comet.
- The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it travels on its 133-year orbit.
