Greeks are preparing for the night of the Perseids, that time every year when we can view the brightest falling stars that are visible to the naked eye, with their long tails that light up the sky like stray fireworks.
The Perseids will appear in almost all parts of the sky, not in any specific oarea, although they seem to come mainly from the northeast, from the constellation Perseus. The meteors began to fall beginning about July 17, and their numbers will increase gradually, lasting until August 24.
The stellar show begins shortly after sunset, but the closer it is to its setting time, the more likely you will be able to see these shooting stars anywhere in the sky with the naked eye.
The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle. The meteors are called the Perseids because the point from which they appear to be generated lies in the Perseus constellation.
Their stream of debris is called the “Perseid Cloud,” which stretches along the orbit of the comet Swift–Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it travels on its 133-year orbit. Most of the particles have been part of the cloud for approximately a thousand years.
The constellation is named after Perseus, a demigod of Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and the mortal Danae, as well as the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles.
The Perseids were first recorded by Chinese astronomers in the year 36 AD.
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