NARIT urges Thais to watch for spectacular Mother’s Day meteor shower

Thais are urged to stay up late on Monday night to enjoy a meteor shower with a peak of 100 meteors per hour from 11pm until dawn Tuesday.

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) posted on its Facebook page that Thais should not miss the chance to enjoy the Perseid meteor shower, which could be seen with bare eyes around the country if the weather permits.

NARIT said that in Thailand, the event is often called the Mother's Day meteor shower because its peak occurs on the night of August 12, which is the National Mother’s Day.

NARIT said that since the early night of Monday would still have a quite bright moon, sky watchers would have to wait until the moon sets at around 11pm to enjoy the meteor shower.

If the sky is clear, has no rain and is not affected by lighting from streets or cities, sky watchers will be able to see the meteors clearly, NARIT added.

The Perseid is one of the most popular and reliable meteor showers of the year. It occurs annually from mid-July to late August, with the peak typically falling around August 12.

The Perseids are created when the Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As these tiny particles enter our atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up, creating the streaks of light we call meteors.

The best time to see the Perseids is usually in the pre-dawn hours.
NARIT advised Thais to prepare beds or mats to lie down to watch the meteors. They are advised to find a dark, open area away from city lights for optimal viewing.