KUALA LUMPUR: The Perseids meteor shower will reach its peak intensity late tonight into early tomorrow morning, with up to 100 meteors potentially visible per hour.
The Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) confirmed the annual celestial event, which occurs between July and August, can be observed without telescopes in areas free from light pollution.
However, MYSA noted that visibility in Malaysia may be affected by the bright waning gibbous moon, which could reduce the number of visible meteors.
The agency advised stargazers to select open, dark locations and allow their eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness for optimal viewing.
Unlike typical stargazing, observers should avoid focusing solely on the Perseus constellation as meteors may appear from various directions across the sky.
The Perseids occur when Earth passes through debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has a 26-kilometre-wide nucleus and orbits the Sun every 133 years.
MYSA explained that comet particles entering Earth’s atmosphere burn up, creating the characteristic glowing streaks across the night sky.
The comet last approached Earth in 1992 and is expected to make its next close pass in 2126. – Bernama
