PAGASA space sciences and astronomy section head Engineer Dario dela Cruz said the Perseids meteor shower may peak starting Monday night with up to 120 meteors per hour.
But dela Cruz, in an interview on dzBB radio, said only about 30 meteors per hour may be visible due to the interference from the bright moon.
"Mamaya sa silangan bago mag-hatinggabi hanggang magdamag inaasahan natin itong shower na ito na magbibigay ng 120 meteors per hour. Pero dahil sa maliwanag ang buwan, posibleng makakita tayo ng 30," he said.
He said that while the meteor show will continue on Tuesday night, there will not be as many meteors visible by then.
Earlier, PAGASA said the bright moon can "cast an interfering glare across the nights of maximum activity, reducing visibility from 120 meteors per hour (the typical Perseid peak rate) to less than 30."
Similarly, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the "nearly full moon" may "upstage the show" by the Perseids.
NASA said the Perseids are active from July 17 to Aug. 24 this year.
"The Perseid meteor shower is known as one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing fast and bright meteors that frequently leave trains, but in 2014, a nearly full moon will upstage the show," it said.
Perseids are considered to be the best meteor shower of the year as the meteors are "very fast and bright" and often leave long "wakes" of light and color.
NASA added Perseids are known for their fireballs, larger explosions of light and color.
"This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material. Fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes brighter than -3," it said.
NASA suggested that stargazers view the Perseids in the Northern Hemisphere before dawn or as early as 10 p.m.
"Find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing northeast and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors," it said. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
