Spectacular photos of the Perseid meteor shower maximum were published on the night of August 13, when Earth passed through the dust trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Observers could see up to 100–120 meteors per hour, TASS reports.
The speed of the meteors reached 60 km/s — 3600 times faster than the permissible car speed in the city. The increased activity of the stream will continue for another three to four days, so bright flashes can be caught even after the peak.
On the same night, six planets were visible in the sky: Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter, and on August 12, a solar eclipse occurred, best visible in St. Petersburg.
Astronomers call such a coincidence a great rarity. The observation conditions were particularly favorable: the new moon left the sky almost completely dark. To see the meteors, it is enough to drive away from city lights and be patient — it is best to start after 10:30 PM.
Perseids previously
"Pervy Tekhnichesky" has previously reported on the Perseids in different years. In August 2024, it was reported that the peak of the shower was about 120 meteors per hour, and observers in central Russia could watch the meteors all night without any equipment. At that time, the meteor shower was accompanied by a noticeable close approach of Mars and Jupiter in the sky.