About Perseid Meteor Shower:
- The name Perseid is believed to be derived from the Perseus constellation.
- It peaks during mid-August each year and is considered to be among the best meteor showers. Perseids, usually swift and bright, leave a trail of light and colour behind them as they traverse through the night sky.
- It is also one of the most plentiful showers with nearly 100 meteors seen per hour.
- The Perseids are special because they often generate fireballs.
- Fireballs are big bursts of light and color that last longer than a regular shooting star.
- This happens because fireballs come from larger pieces of material from comets.
Key facts about Meteor Shower
- A meteor is a space rock that comes into Earth's atmosphere.
- As it falls, the air makes it really hot because of the friction.
- The bright streak we see is not the rock itself, but the hot air around it.
- When many space rocks hit the atmosphere over Earth together, we call it a meteor shower.
- These meteors travel at incredible speeds, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers per hour before disintegrating due to the intense heat generated by friction with the atmosphere.
