By
Michaela Trimble, Travel+Leisure
If you’ve ever been tempted to
travel to Iceland to see the northern lights, or to Chile’s San Pedro de
Atacama Desert to witness the Milky Way, consider planning a jaunt for
another of the most stunning aerial shows.
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Each August, the Northern
Hemisphere is illuminated with the Perseid meteor shower, a stunning
clash of the elements, appearing as Mother Nature’s annual fireworks
show.
The Perseids are a collection of
meteors that appear to come from the same direction at the same speed,
traveling at a rate of 132,000 miles per hour. They’re some of the
fastest meteors in the universe and the oldest, too, with first records
of them dating back 2,000 years.
The Perseid meteors are caused
by Earth colliding into a stream of debris left behind by Comet
Swift-Tuttle, and the meteors visible this August come from the parent
comet hundreds – if not thousands – of years ago.
“When the comet travels near the sun it heats up and releases gas and small particles of comet,” said NASA’s
meteor expert Bill Cooke. “Every August, the Earth passes through
trails of the comet - that's when we see the Perseid meteor shower.
These meteoroids burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, creating the streaks of
light we call meteors.”
The meteor shower can last
anywhere from several hours to a few weeks, explains Cooke. In 2017, the
Perseids are most active from the end of July to the end of August, and
this year’s expected peak is August 12.
[post_ads]“You can see the Perseid meteor
shower best in the Northern Hemisphere and down to the mid-southern
latitudes,” said Jim Zimbelman, a geologist at the Center for Earth and
Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “All you need to catch the show is darkness, somewhere comfortable to sit, and a bit of patience.”
Due to the Perseids consistency,
it’s easy to plan a trip around this phenomenon, explains Zimbelman:
“You need to be 20 miles from the nearest town or city, and during the
best conditions, you can see up to 60 meteor flashes in one hour.”
Although there’s no need to
travel far to see the Perseid meteor shower, there are spectacular
experiences around the globe that make watching the skyward show even
more special. With this year’s waning gibbous moon in full effect on
August 12, the Perseids may be less visible, making it even more
important to watch from a darker and more remote location to see the
bright meteors and fireballs flash through the sky.
Here are three spectacular trips in the world’s leading observatories to experience the Perseids this August.
From the Sky Gate Observatory in Jordan’s Wadi Rum
If you thought a trip to Jordan’s Wadi Rum couldn’t get any better, it does on this 8-day trip with Peregrine Adventures.
From August 10-17, discover the towering, wind-carved formations of the
Wadi Rum and the Al-Khazneh temple hidden in Petra’s canyon walls,
staying each evening in a traditional Bedouin camp to view the stars at
their brightest, unabated from artificial or natural light.
Just before the Perseids meteor
shower begins, enter Jordan’s Sky Gate Observatory, a Bedouin-run
scientific, cultural, and tourism development project opened in 2013.
Delightfully remote and harboring a dark, open sky, learn the wonders of
the constellations that once ruled traditional Arabic culture, as the
stars were used to navigate through from the desert to the sea. Enjoy
learning from an astrology expert just before the meteors shine their
brightest on August 12.
[post_ads_2]From the Silo Observatory at Primland in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains
Nestled in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with 12,000 acres of land at bay, Primland
is the perfect stateside locale to view the Perseid meteor shower.
Located in an area where no artificial or natural light obstructs the
dark sky, the lodge was built with astrological enthusiasts in mind, as
it houses a silo-shaped observatory complete with a high-powered
telescope for guests to tour the universe on a nightly basis.
On August 12, guests of Primland
can join the lodge’s expert guides to explore the sky, gazing at
constellations and planets before witnessing the Perseid meteor shower
in action as the meteoroids burn and streak the sky in a flash of light.
When you’re not busy in the observatory, roam the land for an
adventure, whether hiking portions of the restored Old Appalachian Trail
or fly fishing in surrounding lakes.
From the Astronomical Observatory at Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam
Venture to Con Dao on a tailor-made journey with Audley Travel to stay at the Six Senses Con Dao,
located in Vietnam’s archipelago islands in the southernmost region of
the country. Accessible by flight from Ho Chi Minh City and set within a
protected national and marine park, the resort reflects the essence of
Vietnam’s roots, celebrating the traditional fishing culture that
resides here.
This August, experience
celestial wonders from the property’s own private astronomical
observatory, where Dr. Parag Mahajani, a fellow of the Royal
Astronomical Society of London, brings 25 years of experience in
astronomy to guests. The telescope makes even the furthest celestial
occurrences visible, highlighting Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and even the
Moon’s surface. On the evening of August 12, visit the observatory with a
cocktail in tow, enjoy the Perseids as they crash and burn in the
Earth’s atmosphere.
