2013 Perseid Meteor Shower: Sky Gazers Shares Images and Viewing Experience of Meteor Shower Peak [PHOTOS]
The 2013 Perseid meteor shower has astounded numerous sky gazers from around the world during its peak activity on August 11 and 12. The weekend may have offered a good meteor shower display for many witnesses who were able to capture images and share their viewing experience but the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to continue lighting up the night skies until it fades out on August 24.
Sky watcher David Firstbrook captured the Perseid meteor shower display on Sunday, August 11, from the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. Mr Firstbrook shared his viewing experience in an email to Space.com: "I spent the evening easing back in a lawn chair waiting for the typical British clouds to pass in order to have a peak at some meteors. I live in London most of the time, so getting out into a remote area away from the lights and pollution is definitely a treat, I even managed to get a good view of the Milky Way!"
Scott MacNeill, another lucky viewer, revealed to Space.com via email on how he witnessed the remarkable sky display last Sunday. "I setup last night at Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown, Rhode Island, USA and waited for the clouds to move out. At midnight this morning the skies opened up and Perseid meteors started to become quite visible with periodic busts of 5-6 meteors consecutively. I sat out under the fantastically beautiful skies till sunrise taking in the awesome display of this first night of Perseid viewing awesomeness," Mr MacNeill shared.
Furthermore, one astrophotographer was able to see a fireball on early Sunday morning. "The fireball timing was great as it fell very close from the camera's point of view to the galactic center of the Milky Way and the Harlan J. Smith telescope from the McDonald Observatory," astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill shared to Space.com through an email coming from Texas.
The 2013 Perseid meteor shower lit up the night sky during its peak activity with up to 100 meteors per hour visible in dark locations. For optimal viewing, sky gazers should stay away from the bright city lights because they weaken the chances of seeing more meteors.
Keeping warm and comfortable outdoors is important as well since viewing the Perseid meteor shower takes long hours of waiting. A reclining lawn chair, picnic blanket, pillow, warm drinks and jacket can be useful to the viewers while waiting for the meteor shower display in a cold and dark night.
In case weather disturbances prohibit interested viewers in experiencing the Perseid meteor shower, a webcast will be available on the online sky watching Web site Space.com courtesy of the Slooh Space Camera.
