While many people in Switzerland have been loving the warm weather, there’s some great news for stargazers in the coming days too - the peak of the Perseid meteor shower is on its way to Switzerland on the night of August 12!
Update: To find out how to watch the event in 2023, check out our latest guide to the Perseids meteor shower in Switzerland.
The Perseid meteor shower is known as the Perseids because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. The shower takes place every August, as the Earth passes through the stream of debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. With a comet nucleus 26 kilometres in diameter, Swift-Tuttle is the largest object in the solar system that repeatedly passes close to Earth, which it does once every 133 years.
As one of the most popular meteor showers taking place each year, the Perseid meteor shower is easily visible across the entire northern hemisphere and will be active right through to August 24. The best time to watch the shower is at its peak, where lucky stargazers could see up to 69 meteors every hour at around 3am on August 13.
Unfortunately, the visibility for this year’s Perseid Meteor Shower isn't expected to be great, despite the clear skies and great weather lately. The Super Full Moon on August 12 means that the sky will be pretty bright during the peak of the shower, making it harder to spot any shooting stars.
The visibility is expected to be better for those who watch the spectacle in the early hours of the morning and at greater altitudes with less light pollution, such as up in the mountains or in a ski resort. While it isn't ideal for anyone who has to get up for work, you'll likely stand a better chance of seeing the shower at around 3am on August 10. To improve your chances, head out of the city to an area with little to no artificial light.