Nepal: Perseid meteor shower on Aug 12

Kathmandu, Aug 12: The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak abundantly through tonight into the dawn of tomorrow, according to the Nepal Astrological Society.

The meteors radiate from constellation Perseus, lying in the northeastern sky.

"The moonless night provides an excellent opportunity for meteor-gazers to witness the awesome fiery streaks," the Society said.

The meteor showers generally appear when the earth rushes through the stream consisting of tiny particles ejected by a comet as it passes by the sun.

As the earth hurtles through the specks and particles of comet's small fragments, tiny sand grain-sized inter-planetary dust and rock pieces which are moving at a speed of about 60kms/sec, burn up approximately 70 km above our planet's atmosphere.

"Perseids are poised to exhibit brilliantly good meteor shower of this year," the Society said.

The show begins roughly between 2100 hrs-2200 hrs (local time) today, when Perseus rises in the northeastern sky.

It could manifest some good numbers of meteors all through the night. "Since the new moon occurs today, there will be no interference from lunar light, consequently providing very favourable possibility to relish and watch the Perseids," the Society said.

UNI