Clear skies forecast over Bulgaria for 2018 Perseid meteor shower
The weekend weather forecast for Bulgaria has more sunny weather and little cloud cover, which should offer starwatchers a clear view of the Perseid meteor shower peak on August 11-12.
Although this year is not expected to produce the same outburst as 2016, the new moon on August 11 will improve visibility, with 50 to 100 meteors seen on average each hour at the peak, making this the best meteor shower of the year.
The best time to view the shower in the northern hemisphere is deep into the night and at pre-dawn hours, but brighter meteors could be seen as early as 10pm, according to Nasa.
Southern Bulgaria is expected to see some clouds during the day on August 11, but the skies are expected to be mostly clear by nightfall, offering a good view.
Capital Sofia and Bulgaria’s second city Plovdiv, as well as the Black Sea cities of Varna and Bourgas, are all forecast to have clear skies, but the viewing enjoyment would be higher at other places with less light pollution.
The Perseids have been observed for at least two millennia and are made up of bits of dust and ice trailing the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years, according to NASA. Their name derives from the fact that they appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus.
(Photo of Perseid meteor as seen from the International Space Station, by NASA)
