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Astronomical photo of the day? The film by Czech-Slovak authors captures Perseids
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“Conditions are ideal this year, in the sky the Moon will be in the phase of a narrow crescent, which at night the maximum sets in the evening and will not be disturbed by its light. So it will be possible to see even the faintest meteors. cities, “the astronomer pointed out.
In the second half of the night, the constellation Perseus, from where the meteors seem to fly, climbs almost to the headland. Therefore, most meteors glow over the horizon. Although perseids are active until August 24, Horálek warned that after a night their maximum decreases significantly. So it is best to make time from Thursday to Friday (August 12 and 13).
Meteor shower on the background of the Black Crater volcano in the USA:
The first mention of this meteor swarm comes from the 3rd century. People noticed them then shortly after the martyrdom of St. Lawrence. That is why they are sometimes nicknamed the Tears of St. Lawrence.
“The Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli proved that this was an astronomical phenomenon in the second half of the 19th century. He was the first in the world to find a direct connection between meteors and comets and even determined that Perseid originated in dust from the periodic comet 109P Swift-Tuttle astronomers in 1862, “said Horálek. The comet last approached the Sun in 1992, and will not do so again until 2126.
Meteorological day Geminidy:
Also this year, on the night of the maximum, a joint annotated observation of Perseid takes place in the area of the observatory in Ondřejov, Central Bohemia. The Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic organizes it on the local “radar” meadow. According to the organizers, people should come before dark on August 12, so that they do not disturb the other participants with the light. The observation of the sky is on Thursday, August 12, between 21:00 and 23:00 also in the Štefánik Observatory on Prague’s Petřín Hill. Just after the maximum, on Saturday 14 August, the traditional Day and Night event takes place in Jizerka, which will also include a view of the night sky.
