(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, Aug. 3 (Petra) -- Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts are invited to observe a spectacular extraterrestrial show on August 12 and 13, when the Perseid meteor showers will illuminate the skies of the Middle East and the Kingdom, producing up to 100 meteors per hour at their peak.
Astronomer Imad Mujahid told Petra on Wednesday that the Perseid meteor shower can be seen with the naked eye without the use of telescopes or any special equipment because the meteors are extremely bright and leave persistent trails.
However, Mujahid suggested going to open areas free of light pollution for a better experience, such as the Wadi Rum region in the south of the Kingdom, which he asserted is the best location to take in a spectacular sky show.
Mujahid continued by stating that when dust atoms approach the Earth, they typically enter the atmosphere at a speed of up to 70 kilometers per second. This high speed, continues Mujahid, causes the dust atoms to collide with the Earth's atmosphere, creating intense heat that glows and briefly takes the form of fiery arrows before going out.
He explained that meteors begin to glow at a height of 120 kilometers above the Earth's surface, then burn and transform into ash at a height of 60 kilometers; therefore, meteors rarely reach the Earth's surface, and if they do, they are so small that no one notices them.
Meteor showers are celestial events in which several meteors appear to originate from a single point in the night sky. This occurs as the Earth travels through streams of cosmic debris left behind by comets and, in some cases, asteroids.
Perseid meteor showers can produce a shooting star about once every minute and are generally brighter than other meteor showers throughout the year.
MENAFN03082022000117011021ID1104640868
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.