The long-awaited appointment by space lovers and the simple curious is back again this year: that of the night of San Lorenzo , the most magical of the summer . The sky, as tradition dictates, is illuminated by the inevitable shooting stars , visible to the naked eye as soon as the Sun greets the Earth, leaving the celestial vault in the company of only celestial bodies. A phenomenon, the one recorded on August 10, which now boasts a large group of enthusiasts , ready to count the meteors and express their wishes.
However, what are commonly called stars are actually « fragments of ice left by Swift Tuttle , a comet that passed close to us in 1992 and will return to visit us in 2126. They are also called Perseids because they seem to come from the constellation Perseus ». explains the astrophysicist of the Planetarium of L'Unione Sarda Manuel Floris . «In contact with the atmosphere they catch fire , giving life to this show. Colors are not always the same , they can change and vary from purple to blue to warmer tones. This depends on their composition», continues my colleague Barbara Leo .
And even if tradition teaches that the moment of greatest concentration of the phenomenon will be recorded tonight, the peak will occur in the hours between 12 and 13 August. For a textbook observation, however, it will be necessary to carefully choose the place in which to stop : it must be far from light pollution (therefore from the city) and it will be necessary to avoid the use of smartphones and electronic devices to get the eye used to the dark. “It also helps us that the moon isn't full these days. We will therefore have the conditions to live the moment to the fullest", underlines Leo. But be careful not to confuse the "tears of Lorenzo" with the satellites that pass more and more often over our heads. «Their light is continuous, they move slowly and then disappear. The passage of shooting stars, on the other hand, is rapid. With a little attention you can't go wrong», concludes the astrophysicist.
(Unioneonline/vf)
