Aussies have been warned only certain parts of the country will be able to watch a famous meteor shower, and most of it may not be visible because of a full moon.
The Perseids meteor shower, which peaks in mid-August, is considered the ‘best meteor shower’ of the year by NASA, with bright streaks trailing across the atmosphere.
Best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, there is only limited potential for Australians to catch sight of the celestial event.
University of Southern Queensland astronomer Jonti Horner said the Perseids are not observable unless Aussies are in the northern part of the country.
‘If far enough north, and the closer you are to the Equator, you might see it, but it would be disappointing,’ he told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.
Added to this, he said the peak of the showers between August 11 and 13 would be during a full moon, which would reduce the likelihood of seeing streaks, as stargazers require the sky to be as dark as possible.
NASA reported that, at their peak, the Perseids can produce around 50 to 100 meteors per hour.
Professor Horner, who has an asteroid named after him, said there could be a chance for Australians in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Cairns, and Darwin.
People in northern Australia could stand a chance of catching a popular meteor shower
But he added that, with the full moon, the highest projected number of streaks would be 10 per hour in Darwin during the early hours of August 12 and August 13.
The astronomer added not all hope is lost for those wanting to stargaze this winter, with a double meteor shower due to be visible across the country in a fortnight.
‘Two meteor showers will be reaching their peak at the end of July, and these ones are good for the whole of Australia,’ he said.
He added it should be a ‘decent show’ as both showers occur under a new moon and simultaneously.
The Southern Delta Aquariids, a shower originating from the direction of the star Delta Aquarii, will be at its best on July 29 and 30, with the potential for people to see 15 per hour around midnight.
At the same time, Professor Horner said there will be a minor shower called the Alpha Capricornids, which will only have two or three streaks an hour but will appear different.
The famous ‘fireball stream’ is generally bigger than the smaller streaks of the Aquariids so there will be fewer but, hopefully, brighter meteors.
‘Head out of town, get somewhere dark and just sit out and relax for an hour or two,’ Professor Horner said.
Astronomer Jonti Horner (pictured) said there will be a double shower two weeks before that will be a better opportunity for stargazers in Australia
‘Look up at the Milky Way and occasionally you will get to see a meteor,’ he said.
But the astronomer warned that waiting for meteor showers does not mean there will be regular streaks across the sky.
‘It’s a bit like waiting for buses, you will wait 10 minutes and three will come along at once. It’s not like New Year’s Eve in Sydney,’ he said.
‘The trick is to go out with no expectations.’
