Perseid meteor shower to light up skies over Baku next week

Residents of Baku will have the opportunity to observe the annual Perseid meteor shower from next week through to August 24, according to the Department of Astrophysics at the Faculty of Physics of Baku State University.

The university said the shower is expected to reach its peak at 06:00 local time on August 13, when meteor activity will be at its highest, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The Perseids occur each year as Earth passes through a stream of dust and small rocky particles left behind by Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. As these particles enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed, they burn up, creating bright streaks of light across the night sky.

The meteor shower is named after the constellation Perseus>, where its radiant – the point from which the meteors appear to originate – is located.

The university noted that the radiant is visible throughout the night from Baku, allowing observers to watch the meteor shower at any time after dark. It reaches its highest point in the sky shortly before dawn, at around 06:00 local time.

Astronomers recommend viewing the event from a dark location away from urban light pollution to maximise visibility.

Provided weather conditions remain favourable on the night of August 12–13, particularly during the pre-dawn hours, observers could see dozens – and potentially more than 100 – meteors per hour.

By Aghakazim Guliyev