Menter the last summer days are leaving and prepares to face the first days of autumn, The sky has a special gift in store still. A last magical farewell to the summer that is about to end, you can do it between 14 and 15 September, raising your eyes upwards and admiring the Who cignids, A rare and fascinating weather swarmwhich will greet tonight in late summer, with bright scie visible to the naked eye.
The cignids, the falling stars who arrive every prestige
The cignids are not the usual falling stars of August that we now all know. These meteors have a particular story: They were discovered just ten years ago and have the unique feature of manifesting each five years. It was a Dutch astronomer of NASA, Peter Jenniskens, who identified them For the first time in 2015 and immediately won the attention of experts for their special characteristics: they are slow, brilliant and give very evident bright trails in the night sky.
Because just now: the last summer show
The timing of this phenomenon could no longer be perfect. The cignids really represent the last show of the astronomical summer: the autumn equinoxin fact, is the precise moment in which we will officially say goodbye to the hot season, will arrive on September 22 at 20:19. So this weekend we will have the opportunity to greet the summer with one of the most fascinating shows that the sky can offer us.
There is no need to be an astronomy experts: with few precautions you can see those who cignidi with the naked eye (Getty)
To see them it takes attention
Unlike the famous Persaid of Augustthose they all call “The tears of San Lorenzo“And that can give over 100 meteors per hour, the Who cignidi are rarer: about a dozen per hour when peak. But it is not the quantity that makes them special, it is the quality. These meteors are particularly slow and brilliant, which means that when you see one, you have time to really admire itto follow his luminous trail that crosses the sky like a golden brushstroke.
How and when to observe them
The best time to enjoy the show It will be on the evening of September 14th. You don’t need to wake up at dawn or wait for the small hours: The cignids are better seen between the evening and the nightwhen the constellation of the swan is high in the south-east sky. The golden rule to better observe them is always the same: No telescopes or binoculars, only our eyes are needed. The ideal is to find a place with little artificial lighting, even a terrace or balcony can be fine, if they are not too illuminated by the city lights.
An appointment not to be missed
In conclusion, those who cignidi represent A rare and concrete occasion to observe a late summer meteoric swarm. Their five -year periodicity and the good visibility to the naked eye make them a unique event in the astronomical panorama, but easily accessible to anyone who chooses a dark place, hoping for a serene night. All you need to plan the right time and dedicate a few hours to the observation of the sky.