The Perseid meteor shower, also called Tears of San Lorenzo (due to the proximity to its maximum activity with the festival of San Lorenzo that is celebrated on August 10), is one of the most famous and also one of the most spectacular that we can observe every year in the night sky. The 2015 Perseids will reach maximum visibility on August 11, 12 and 13 , with the night from 12 to 13 being the most suitable for observation in which we can see up to 100 meteors per hour.
The Moon, this year, will not be an obstacle because it will be in a new phase on the 14th, so the sky will be clear and dark, excellent conditions to enjoy this long-awaited meteor shower.
The Perseid meteors will come from Comet Swift Tuttle , which every 133 years completes a journey through the inner solar system, leaving behind a trail of dust and sand. When the Earth passes through the debris zone, these comet particles hit the atmosphere, disintegrating and leaving the bright flashes of light that can cross the sky at speeds of between 56 and 72 km / s .
As always, it is not necessary to equip yourself with any instrument to observe the Perseid rain, since using binoculars or a telescope would deprive us of the astronomical spectacle that our eyes can capture directly, without intermediaries. Getting as far away as possible from the light pollution of the cities and looking for a place without obstacles where the whole sky is visible are the only recommendations for such magical summer nights.
