Observe Meteor Shower in Pakistan 12th-13th night of Aug’09

meteor shower

LAHORE(The nation) – Members of the public will have a unique opportunity to observe an astronomical highlight of 2009 as the Earth passes through the debris of comet ‘Swift-Tuttle’, according to a Press release issued by The Society of the Sun on Saturday.

Any person who can manage to observe the night sky on the 12th and 13th of August may be able to see up to sixty meteors an hour as the meteor shower peaks on these days. It is advised to lie down and look directly upwards and letting the eyes wander freely towards the northeast. Astronomers use a technique called “averted vision” which allows them to see better through the peripheral vision around the corner of their eyes.

Ranging from dust and pebble sized pieces to small space rocks, when this debris enters Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to burn up and produces the spectacular Perseid meteor shower which can be observed, even from our light polluted cities. Meteor showers occur annually whenever the configuration of Earth in the solar system brings Earth into the debris stream of comets and are named after the constellation from which they seem to originate – in this case the constellatio of Perseus.

Observing events are taking place globally to mark the passage of the Perseids in 2009 which has been hailed as the International Year of Astronomy by UNESCO in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilee’s first observation through the telescope. Professional and amateur astronomers worldwide are gathering to observe the meteor shower and perhaps make a wish on a shooting star.
One such event is taking place at the Jati Umra headquarters of The Society of the Sun, which is helping people to discover the Sun and Earth’s place in the Universe.

Meteor Shower in India

Meteor Shower to Streak Across UAE Sky

DUBAI(Khaleej Times) — Hundreds of meteors — the falling rocks from the annual passing of a comet — will light up the sky above UAE on August 12, astronomists said.

The celestial event began on July 17 and continues until August 24 but climaxes — with up to 10 meteors a minute — early in the morning of August 12.

Hasan Ahmad Al Hariri, Dubai Astronomy Group President, encouraged residents to see the spectacle which appears to emanate from the constellation in the northern sky called Parshawyyat — Arabic for ‘bearer of Ghoul’s head’ — or Perseus named after the Greek hero Perseus.

However, Al Hariri said the meteors are the debris falling from the Swift-Tuttle comet.

“Comets are basically like dirty snowballs — made of dirt and ice,” Al Hariri said.

“They are created at the outer rims of the solar system. As they move towards the sun, they warm up. The ice evaporates, taking chunks of dirt with it, leaving a tail behind the comet.

“The earth passes near this path every year and the meteors come from the material in the tail.”

Discovered back in 1862, this comet takes approximately 130 years to circle the sun. The majority of meteors are tiny marble size pebbles and dirt which burn up in the atmosphere but occasionally brighter ones occur — fireballs — that burn up upon entering the atmosphere.

Ibrahim Al Jarawan, another UAE astronomer, in a statement on news agency Wam, said that a meteor’s diameter was about 1mm to 1cm.

”Generally, meteors are like small dust balls that penetrate the hemisphere of the earth then melt and evaporate due to their friction and interaction with the higher air layers.

“We can see these shooting stars like a lightening straight line moving in the sky as fast as 11-72 km/second,” he said.

Al Jarawan said that while a falling star has no sound it can be heard when it goes through the atmosphere making a ‘whispering’ noise. This is the fourth year the Dubai Astronomy Group has held observation nights for the Perseids meteor shower and Al Hariri said this year they would travel out to the desert on the Hatta Road to view the shower on the evening of August 11 to watch the meteors early on the morning of August 12.

Several other meteor showers happen during the year but Al Hariri said this was one of the best because of the brightness of the meteors, their frequency and that fireballs often occurred too.

However, the viewing possibilities on the night will be limited by a bright moon which will make the meteors harder to see.

Al Hariri said residents needed to move out of the city, suggesting the beach or the desert, away from light pollution.

Another factor which could make the meteors harder to see will be if a dust cloud occurs, as happened last week.

“Last year was really good because the moon was a new moon so there was no moon light. Even if the moon is at 20 per cent it is hard to see the meteors,” he said.

“The weather, so far, is expected to be good.”