Perseid meteor shower 2020 is peaking: Here’s how to spot them in Indian sky

New Delhi, Aug 12: It is a good news for star gazers all over the world, and in India, as they have fixed their eyes on the night sky these days as the year's best meteor shower, the Perseids, is likely to be visible on the night of August 11 or in the pre-dawn hours of August 12, as per a latest NASA blog.

Perseid meteor shower 2020 peaking up the night skies:

The visibility of meteors will be high in the night from 2 am to dawn. This celestial show is a result of the debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Perseid Meteor Shower also knows as fireballs:

The peak finds our planet drifting through a debris cloud left behind by the giant comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Bits of debris, space rock and other cosmic detritus collides with our atmosphere. These then incinerate into bright streaks and even the occasional fireball which can easily be seen streaking across the night sky. Perseids are also known for their fireballs.

How to watch it live?

You can also watch the celestial show live on the Facebook page of Nasa Meteor Watch from around 6 am IST on Tuesday. However, the feed is subject to the weather in Alabama as well.

According to a NASA blog by Emily Clay, "You don't need any special equipment to view the Perseids - just your eyes. Note that telescopes or binoculars are not recommended because of their small fields of view. Meteors can generally be seen all over the sky so don't worry about looking in any particular direction."

What causes meteor showers?

Meteors are basically part of meteoroids, which are space objects composed of dust and range in various sizes. When these meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere they are referred to as meteors. The meteoroids travel at high speeds into the atmosphere and burn up resulting in the bright streak of light. This is known as the meteor shower.

Why is it called the Perseid meteor shower?

Perseid meteors shower gets its name from the fact that the point from which they appear to hail lies in the constellation Perseus-an autumn constellation of the northern sky.