Perseid Meteor Shower 12th & 13th Aug, get your Shack packed!
So, what do our tailgate awnings have to offer to astronomers? Packa Shack offers comfort & warmth to all you star gazers out in the middle of nowhere exploring the night sky.
And for of you Packa Shackers who haven’t partaken of this particular activity yet, this is the year to begin!
Every year, in August, the Perseid meteor shower lights up the night sky for a week, as the Earth passes through the stream of dust and debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle, as it travels on its 133-year orbit, peaking on 2 nights each year.
Most of the particles have been part of the cloud for around a thousand years. As those particles or meteoroids smash into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, they produce bright streaks across the sky that we see as meteors or shooting stars.
This year is going to be spectacular show with even more shooting stars than in previous years. Usually there are about 80 Perseids per hour, this year experts are predicting 150-200 Perseids per hour, the highest level of activity since 2009.
So get yourself out somewhere dark, on 12th & 13th August 2016, away from any artificial light, and hope for a clear night, we’re going to be on the side of Loch Rannoch.
As with many meteor showers the visible rate is greatest in the pre-dawn hours, since more meteoroids are scooped up by the side of the Earth moving forward into the stream, corresponding to local times between midnight and noon, as can be seen in the accompanying diagram. While many meteors arrive between dawn and noon, they are usually not visible due to daylight. Some can also be seen before midnight, often grazing the Earth’s atmosphere to produce long bright trails and sometimes fireballs. Most Perseids burn up in the atmosphere while at heights above 80 kilometres (50 mi).
So, set your alarm, and grab your Packa Shack, to experience one of the world’s greatest light shows Packa Shackers! #packashack #perseids #outdoorsisfree