48 ASTRONOMY • AUGUST 2020
another observer who was con-
tinuously playing Celine Dion’s
“My Heart Will Go On” from
the Titanic soundtrack.)
As I mentioned earlier, no
telescope is required, but a
few items will make the night
more comfortable for you.
The most important is a
reclining chair. But don’t set
it up so you face the radiant.
Looking directly at it, you’ll
see only the shortest streaks
because the meteors will becoming right at you. The best
plan is to pick a region of sky
about 30° from the radiant.
An angle of 30° is one-third
of the distance from the hori-
zon to the zenith.
Other things you might
want to bring are insect repel-
lent, light snacks, and a warm
or cold drink, depending on
where you’re observing. One
note about drinks: Don’t
bring booze, because alcohol
impairs visual acuity andTwo Perseid meteors appear above the
Himalayan Chandra Telescope at the
Indian Astronomical Observatory near
Leh-Ladakh. The brighter meteor is to
the right of the Andromeda Galaxy,
the fuzzy patch at top. The fainter
meteor is at the top, just left of the
Milky Way. CHIRAG UPRETIThese two Perseids appeared in a single 30-second exposure taken August 11,
- They blazed above the Deir-e Gachin Caravanserai, located in Kavir
National Park, Iran. Its construction dates from the Sasanian era (A.D. 334-651).
AMIR SHAHCHERAGHIAN