Perseid

[pur-see-id]

noun

Astronomy.

1. any of a shower of meteors appearing in August and radiating from a point in the constellation Perseus.

Perseid

/ ˈpɜːsɪɪd /

noun

1. any member of a meteor shower occurring annually around August 12th and appearing to radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus

Word History and Origins

Origin of Perseid¹

First recorded in 1870–75; Perseus ( def. ) + -id ¹ ( def. ); modeled on Italian Perseidi (plural), a term coined or used by Giovanni Schiaparelli ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Perseid¹

C19: from Greek Persēides daughters of _Perseus ¹

Example Sentences

The Perseid meteor shower will peak next week.

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Krupp said the observatory was inundated with questions about how to view the Perseid meteor shower, which peaked overnight and early Wednesday.

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Stargazers will soon be treated to what could be one of the year's most dazzling displays, with the Perseid meteor shower reaching its peak on Tuesday night.

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“At its best, the Perseid shower delivers between 50 to 100 meteors per hour, but this year far fewer will be seen.”

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Stargazers can cross their fingers for more fireballs, a phenomenon that the Perseid shower is known for, according to NASA.

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