KUALA LUMPUR: The Perseids meteor shower is expected to peak late on Tuesday (Aug 12) night till early Wednesday (Aug 13) morning, offering a potential 100 meteors appearing in the night sky within an hour, the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) said.
The agency said that the annual phenomenon, which occurs between July and August, can be viewed by the naked eye without requiring a telescope if observers are in a dark area free of light poluttion.
"For Malaysian observers, the shower might not be so clear with the presence of the moon in its waning gibbous phase that can result in brighter night skies and reduce the number of meteors seen," the agency posted on its Facebook account on Tuesday.
MYSA also shared several steps to follow, including choosing an open dark area, adapting the eyes to the darkness for 15 to 20 minutes and not to focus on the Perseus constellation because meteors can appear from many directions.
Named after the constellation Perseus, the Perseid meteor shower phenomenon occurs when the Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has an estimated nucleus diameter of 26 kilometers, and takes 133 years to complete an orbit around the Sun.
According to MYSA, as the comet orbits the Sun, the dust released due to the sublimation process will eventually scatter and form a path filled with the remnants of the comet.
"This remnant will eventually enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, forming a long glowing streak,” said MYSA, adding that the comet, which last approached Earth in 1992, is expected to approach again in 2126. - Bernama
