Night of Shooting Stars

August 12, 2024

Every August, a special natural spectacle can be observed in Berlin (and all over the world) - when the Earth passes over the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle and the Perseids meteor shower and thousands of shooting stars rain down from the firmament.

During this event, up to 100 shooting stars per hour can be seen in the sky. Especially on the night of 12 to 13 August, a real shower of shooting stars is expected. Between mid-July and the end of August, there are already many more shooting stars in the sky than usual.

When Is the Best Time to Watch Shooting Stars?

According to astronomers, the best observation time for the meteors is between 2 and 4 o'clock at night. Bright objects can also be observed in brighter areas, although darker places are still preferred. For the real shooting star pleasure only one thing is necessary: a clear, cloudless night sky.

Get Out into the Open to Observe Shooting Stars

Dr. Monika Staesche, scientific director of the Planetarium am Insulaner and the Wilhelm Foerster Observatory, advises Berliners to take a trip to the Berlin countryside on that night. "Shooting stars are best observed with the naked eye in places with a free horizon view far away from the light of the city, for example in the star park in Gülpe or everywhere where free fields offer a large field of vision." Gülpe in the Westhavelland Nature Park is considered the darkest place in Germany.

Why Do We Wish upon a Shooting Star?

It is an ancient superstition: Whoever sees a shooting star may make a wish. But be careful: the wish must remain unspoken under all circumstances, otherwise it will not come true. Some stories go even further, stating that the wish must be thought through to the end of the glow, so that it comes true. The origin of this belief is unknown. What all theories have in common is that people hoped for supernatural assistance at the sight of the rare and divine-looking ray of light