Falling Stars (Perseides) is one of the most spectacular celestial events. This is a Meteor shower seen every year since mid-July until late August.

The first year's Perseides began to fall slowly from July 26th and will last until August 15th to 16th, with the phenomenon culminates during 12th and 13th of the month. During this period about one star per minute is falling , or approximately 60-70 perseides per hour. According to the International Meteora Organization this year is expected to occur around 100 Meteora per hour during the night between August 12th and 13th.

'Shooting stars' of this era are remnants - dust particles left behind 18 years ago by Comet Swift-Tatl (Swift-Tutle) and are in orbit in our solar system affected by the magnetic system of planets. Once a year, during the first 15-day of August, their orbit crosses that of Earth, which tows them.

Upon entering the Earth's atmosphere, the particles ignite at approximately 100 km height, forming a luminous sphere that moves with speed 200.000 km/h, leaving a 'tail' behind them. This is called meteor or shooting star, or falling star and is seen from Earth with the naked eye, in regions with clear sky and away from city lights. Specific shooting stars named Perseides is because they seem to come from the Perseus constellation direction.

The years 1991 and 1992 there was a resurgence of the phenomenon by observation of 400 Meteora per hour. This number decreased in the late decade reaching around 100 meteors per hour and in 2000 was much less. This has to do with the period of the comet Swift-Tuttle passes through our solar system, roughly every 130 years, indicating that eliminated the distance of the comet from Earth, the fewer meteors we see.

Source: www.tvxs.gr