On August 10, 2021, according to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Perseid meteor shower will usher in a maximum period of meteor traffic from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. on August 13, with a maximum zenith flow of more than 110 per hour. Generally when we see a meteor, we will unconsciously close our eyes and make a wish, so the question is, how is the meteor shower formed? Why do we see a meteor shower to make a wish? Come and go, pay attention to passers-by, listen to what customers say.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > the origin of meteor showers</h1>
There are many small bodies in the solar system that orbit and speed according to their own orbits, but these small bodies sometimes collide. Large pieces will break into many small ones, and after the collision, these small ones will gather in groups and then move along the same orbit to form a group of meteors.
Some meteor swarms are also related to comets, when the comet is running in the internal gas explosion, or collides with the meteor body, gradually disintegrating, the dust particles thrown out during the disintegration process gradually detach from the comet, forming a meteor swarm, the meteor swarm enters the earth's atmosphere, forming a meteor shower.
The world's earliest discovery of the discovery of meteor showers is a Chinese record of the Lyra meteor shower, Zuo Zhuan Yun, Lu Zhuang Gong seven years (687 BC) "summer April xin night, stars disappear, night stars fall like rain". There was also the Qingyang meteor shower event that occurred in China in 1490, according to the Ming Dynasty Shen Defu's "Wan Li Ye Zhi Compilation", the meteorites in Qingyang County, Shaanxi Province, were like rain, the large ones were four or five pounds, and the small ones were two or three pounds.
Descriptions of meteor showers "stars falling like rain" are found in the "Book of Heavenly Officials" and "Astronomical Chronicles" of later dynasties. Up to now, more than 500 meteoroid groups have been discovered, such as the famous Leo meteor group, Lyra meteor group, Perseus meteor group and so on.
The upcoming Perseid meteor shower is one of the three largest meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere every year, and will appear around July 20 to August 20 every year, and is called the three major meteor showers of the year along with the Quadriters meteor shower and the Gemini meteor shower. The most active period is between August 8 and 14, and the maximum period occurs on August 12-13.
The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for nearly 2,000 years, with the earliest observations in chinese historical records in 36 AD, when more than 100 meteors were observed per hour. It was not until 1835 that the Perseid meteor shower was recognized by Belgian astronomer Adolf Kettler as an annual meteor shower, second only to the Leo meteor shower. At least 20 observations have been recorded up to the 19th century, followed by an increase in 1921, and has been relatively stable in recent decades.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="19" > will a wish to a meteor really come true? </h1>
We generally see a shooting star and will unconsciously make a wish, so how did the habit of making a wish to the meteor come about? Can it be achieved in the end? In the Greek period, people associated the two concepts of shooting stars and wishes, and the more powerful origin of making a wish to a shooting star also originated in this era.
At that time, people's understanding of the sky came from the Greek astronomer Ptolemy's "heavenly movement theory", which simply means that the earth we exist is at the center of the universe, and the sky is like a spherical lid covering the ground. Whether the sky, the sun, or the stars are on this sphere, and they move with the seasons, this statement also makes people feel that all the stars revolve around us.
Ptolemy wrote in 127-151 A.D. that out of curiosity or boredom, the gods of the heavens would open the windows from the celestial sphere and look down at the earth, at which point the stars might accidentally slip and fall to the ground as meteors. This also shows that the gods are watching us, and when we make a wish, it is possible to fulfill it, which is the beginning of people's wishes to the shooting star.
Meteors are considered in many places to be a symbol of good luck, and in the West, there is also an old saying about meteors: First, if a star falls, there must be a soul to make up for it, and when a person dies, the soul will ascend to heaven, and when it ascends to heaven, it will bring your wishes to God. Second, the meteor is passed by accident, seize the time at this moment to make a wish to the meteor, so that the meteor will pass away with your wish, so that your wish will be fulfilled.
Of course, it sounds like the same thing, but these are just people who don't understand science when they make speculations about meteors, a good wish, and making a wish for a meteor doesn't really make any sense. The scientific explanation is that meteoroids pass through the atmosphere due to the light and heat generated by the impact pressure.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="20" > how to properly watch a meteor shower</h1>
This year's Perseid meteor shower is more suitable for viewing from the evening of August 12 to 3:00-6:00 a.m. on August 13. It is best to observe meteors in the wild away from light interference, but safety should be the first, you can find a familiar place and travel with you.
The speed of the Perseid meteor shower is very fast, up to 59 km / s, belongs to the high-speed meteor group, it can be said that it is fleeting, ordinary enthusiasts, want to enjoy the meteor shower without any equipment, directly find the field of view is empty, away from the lights, lying naked to watch on the line.
Well, here we are today, pay attention to the passers-by, have heard the guests say, we will see you next issue.
#Almighty Creator ##一起围观英仙座流星雨 #