![Micro-adventure for August: counting shooting stars during the Perseids storm Micro-adventure for August: counting shooting stars during the Perseids storm](https://storage.googleapis.com/weltevree-production/media/fc/7c/f3/1722860290/Header%20Microavontuur%20voor%20augustus%20vallende%20sterren%20tellen%20tijdens%20de%20Perseidenstorm.png)
Micro-adventure for August: counting shooting stars during the Perseids storm
Every August, the Perseids swarm passes over the Netherlands. This is a meteor shower that produces a spectacle of shooting stars.
Meteor swarms occur when the Earth passes through a trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid. In the case of the Perseid storm, the Earth passes through this trail of debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle every year around the same time.
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If you want to observe this meteor shower, it is best to look for the darkest place in the country. In the Netherlands, these are the Wadden Islands, as there is little light pollution there. But the shooting stars of the Perseid swarm can also be observed in places with a lot of light pollution. What does help is if you know where to look. Every meteor swarm has its own shining point from which all the shooting stars seem to come. In the case of the Perseid swarm, this point can be found in the constellation Perseus. With a stargazing app, you can easily find it.
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The Perseid swarm produces shooting stars throughout August, but reaches its peak this weekend (11 and 12 August), when the swarm produces around 100 shooting stars per hour. So put your Woodlounger in the darkest spot and think in advance what you want to wish for.