Watch: Meteor blazes over Istanbul as Perseids peak across the northern hemisphere
The Perseid meteor shower — described by NASA as the best of the year — has peaked under a new moon, and India is well placed to catch it. Under dark skies, the display can deliver 50 to 100 meteors an hour. No telescope required, just distance from city lights and some patience.
On the night of August 12, the Perseid meteor shower peaked, offering unusually good viewing conditions in Istanbul due to a new moon the night before. Cameras captured a bright meteor that entered the atmosphere over the Hürriyet neighbourhood of Büyükçekmece, around 1 am on August 10, with the flash visible to the naked eye. The meteor burn-up occurred roughly 100 km above the ground, creating streaks of light and color.
The Perseids are debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, producing swift and bright meteors that frequently leave long trails. Under ideal conditions, up to 100 shooting stars can be seen per hour, making it one of the most widely watched meteor showers of the year.
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