RIJEKA, 12 Aug (Hina) - Perseid Night, during which visitors were able to observe the spectacular phenomenon known as the Perseid meteor shower or the Tears of St. Lawrence , took take place on Tuesday at the Rijeka Astronomical Centre.

Each year, between 17 July and 24 August, a "shower" of meteors can be seen in the night sky. These are often referred to as "shooting stars" or "celestial fireflies", and this year, the peak of their activity is expected during the night of 12 to 13 August.

The "Tears of St. Lawrence" is a popular name for the Perseids meteor shower, which peaks around the feast day of Saint Lawrence on 10 August.

The Perseids are visible to the naked eye, but local weather plays a major role.

Visitors were able to observe the Perseids from the observatory, as well as from the panoramic terrace and park of the Rijeka Astronomical Centre. The Centre has also announced two presentations: A Guide to the Night Sky over Rijeka and Small Bodies of the Solar System.

They emphasise that "shooting stars" are not actual stars, but rather the most prominent, and perhaps best-known meteor shower, caused in August by the Swift-Tuttle comet when its orbit around the Sun intersects with Earth’s.

The Perseid shower occurs because every summer, Earth passes through a cloud of debris left behind by the comet, a celestial body with a solid core and a surrounding layer of frozen gas and dust, travelling through space.