How Long Does The Perseid Meteor Shower Last? When Does It Peak? Find Out

The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth crosses its path with Comet Swift-Tuttle during its revolution around the Sun. The rubbles from this comet gravitate towards Earth's upper atmosphere at an astronomical speed of around 210.000 KM per hour. This phenomenon in space causes the sky to lighten up with fast-moving Perseid meteors.

As the peak date of the Perseid meteor shower, 2020 is coming close, many skywatchers are left with questions like how long does The Perseid Meteor Shower last? when does Perseid meteor shower peak? where to see Perseid meteor shower, etc. Here is everything you need to know about this surreal celestial show.

Source: NASA (Twitter)

NASA launched Discoverer 13 satellite on this day in 1960, first ever recovered from orbit

How long does The Perseid Meteor Shower last?

According to a NASA report, in 2020 the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August. The number of meteors will be increasing every night, until it will peak on August 12. After its peak, the Perseid Meteor Shower will tail off. The peak is set to occur on August 12, but, there will be a drastic increase in the number of meteors available on August 11 till August 13. During the entire period of the Perseid meteor shower, unto 100 meteors will be visible per hour, under perfect weather conditions. Skywatchers can also expect to see many bright fast meteors with trains.

NASA's OSIRIS REx spacecraft one rehearsal away from asteroid-sampling

Perseid Meteor Time: What time can you see it?

The best time to see any phenomenon in the night sky is when the sky is at it's darkest and when the target object is at its highest position in the sky. Most meteor showers usually occur between midnight and early hours of the morning. Hence, it's safe to consider 12 midnight-05:30 am as the best passage of time to witness this breathtaking celestial phenomenon.

NASA has suggested that it is always best to spot meteors when the Moon is below the horizon or is in its crescent phase. During its other phases, the Moon's presence creates natural light pollution and visibility of the meteors becomes faint.

NASA locates Helium structures in solar atmosphere, gathers full global map

How often does Perseid Meteor Shower occur?

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the eminent meteor showers that are visible from Earth. NASA has revealed that they take place every year between July 17 and August 24. The report also states that, on August 12, 2020, Earth will be passing through the densest, dustiest area in its path through Comet Swift-Tuttle. This means that skywatchers will be able to see most meteors in the shortest amount of time near that peak.

NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft captures breathtaking pictures of Mars' Night Sky, See