Perseids meteor shower over Singapore: What is it and when to catch it

SINGAPORE: Get ready for another meteor shower, Singapore.

If you missed the Delta Aquariids in July, here's your chance to view another, known for being one of the brighter annual showers. 

According to the Science Centre Observatory on Tuesday (Aug 8), the Perseids occur every year between mid-July and late August.

The showers, which began on Jul 17, will peak around Aug 13 and last until Aug 24. 

So what are the Perseids and how do you catch them in Singapore?

WHAT ARE THE PERSEIDS?

The meteor shower is called the Perseids as the showers come from the same direction as the constellation Perseus.

Named after the Greek mythological hero, it is the 24th largest constellation in the night sky, said the observatory. 

Viewers can determine the direction of the shower by looking for the Perseus constellation.

The Perseids are caused when Earth passes through a trail of space debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, added the observatory. 

Founder of the Stargazing Singapore hobby group, Ms Gerardyn Brittos previously said that the Perseid meteor shower will be one of the "most prominent and brightest" events when it peaks adding that it is "famous for producing a large number of bright meteors including fireballs".

WHEN CAN I SEE IT IN SINGAPORE?

It is not easy to spot the celestial event in Singapore due to the country's viewing conditions, said the observatory. 

However, the best time to attempt to catch a glimpse would be on Aug 13 at about 4am. This is when the constellation would be high enough above the horizon. 

"That is when you can spot the maximum number of meteors. These can be viewed with the naked eye if there is no light pollution and cloud cover."

WHERE TO VIEW THE METEOR SHOWER?

The best locations would be open areas with unblocked surroundings and lesser light pollution such as nature parks, beaches, and reservoirs, said the Science Centre Observatory. 

The observatory also advised viewers to avoid gazing directly at the Perseus constellation.

Instead, they should look at "dark areas around it" in order to spot the streaks of the meteors. 

WHEN IS THE NEXT METEOR SHOWER?

The next major meteor shower visible in Singapore will be the Geminids in December.

The observatory said that is the "biggest and most spectacular meteor shower", named after the Gemini constellation.

"Earth goes through these dust streaks every year, so we can predict when meteor showers will occur," it added. 

"Meteor showers are formed when the Earth travels through a cloud of interplanetary debris .... The denser the debris clouds are, the more materials will fall on Earth, thus giving us more meteors."