Perseids meteor shower peaks at Aug. 13's dawn

Vietnamese astronomy aficionados will have a chance to enjoy the Perseids, one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year, that will peak between the night of August 12 and the dawn next day.

The Perseids will peak between the night of August 12 and the dawn next day (Photo: the-science-llama.tumblr.com)

Astronomer Nguyen Duc Phuong from the Hanoi-based Vietnam National University said observers could see 60 – 80 meteors per hour and even 100 in good weather.

The best time to contemplate the spectacle will be at around 2 a.m. on August 13, he added.

The Perseids occurs when debris shed by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle hit the Earth’s atmosphere. It usually takes place from mid-July to mid-August every year.

However, the shower this year happens on the 17th and 18th day of the seventh lunar month, when the full moon’s brightness may hamper the viewing, Phuong noted.

Meteor showers can be seen with the naked eye without any harm, and observers are recommended to get places that are not obstructed by artificial lights such as mountainous or coastal areas in order to have the best view of the phenomenon.

(Source: VNA)