Skywatching: Perseid meteor shower to peak early Friday morning

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the meteor showers that boasts the best condition for observation this year, and the estimated peak would be at around 3 to 6 am on Friday (Aug. 13) morning.

It is estimated that the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of the meteor shower can reach 100 during the peak period. The neglectable influence of the moonlight also provides an excellent observation condition.

However, due to other factors such as light pollution from the city, observers in remote areas of Hong Kong might only see 20-30 meteors during the peak even in fine weather.

According to the HK Space Museum, the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower will rise in mid-August in the northeast at about 10 p.m. More meteors should be seen when the radiant is higher above the horizon. The best observation time would be around 4 to 5 a.m. on Friday. It is recommended to observe the meteor shower from 10 p.m. on Thursday until the dawn of Friday.

The Hong Kong Space Museum will livecast the Perseid meteor shower from 10 pm on Thursday through its YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hkspacem