Dictionary of Space Concepts

Source: Sutton, B. (2015, August 19). Perseid Meteor Shower over the Ocotillo Patch; 8/12/15. flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/115357548@N08/20713070995

Definition:

A meteor shower that recurs annually between the July 17th, and August 24th, with a peak of shooting stars in the days around August 12th.

They have a high velocity (60 km/s) and, as so-called fireballs, can even reach the brightness of Venus. The radiant, apparent origin of this shower, lies in the eponymous constellation Perseus, near its border with Cassiopeia.

Etymology:

from Greek Περσείδαι “Perseidai”, the sons of Perseus in Greek mythology

Translations:

• English: Perseids – [ˈpɝ.si.ɪds]
  
• French: Perséides – []
  
• German: Perseiden – []
  
• Polish: Deszcz Perseidów – []
  
• Russian: Персеиды – []
  
• Swedish: Perseiderna – []

Links to Videos/Articles:

Perseid meteor shower on NASA TV 2015 (4 hours)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIvVLyltJe8