​The Perseid meteor shower will occur on August 12 (Monday) this year. It is estimated that the zenithal hourly rate may reach 100 during the peak from 9pm on August 12 to midnight. The Hong Kong Space Museum will live-stream the Perseid meteor shower from 10pm to 11pm on August 12 via its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/hkspacem) and "LCSD Plusss" Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LCSDPlusss) and share some astronomical knowledge related to meteor showers.
During a meteor shower, meteors appear to emanate from a point (known as the radiant) in the night sky. On August 12, the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower will rise in the northeast at about 10pm, and the number of meteors will increase as the radiant rises gradually. Since the peak lies on the ninth day of the seventh lunar month, the moon will set at about 11.30pm, and the observation conditions will become more favourable after moonset. During the small hours of August 13, observers may see more than 10 meteors per hour at a location with a wide field of view and low light pollution.
As astronomical observations depend heavily on weather conditions, members of the public are advised to check the latest weather updates before the outdoor activity. For details of the Perseid meteor shower and the live streaming, please visit the Hong Kong Space Museum's website at hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/home.html.
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