I recently learned the difference between a comet and a meteor shower. A meteor shower, like the Perseid, is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet. When these sand-sized comet particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up due to friction with the air, they produce bright lights known as meteors or shooting stars. Meteor showers are typically short-lived events that occur on certain dates each year when the Earth’s orbit intersects with the debris trail of a comet. So the Perseid are not a comet, but the burnt remains of a comet. Which I find even more interesting.
Although I would love to see the Perseid, I can’t because I live in a city. They won’t be visible to me (due to pollution, unfortunately) because you need a clear sky to see them. If you are on the outskirts of a city or closer to a village when it is in its period, look to the night sky for the cosmic surprises.
Comets and meteor showers (and some other celestial events) are usually seen as prophecies in novels. They either carry the story of an ancient tale, or herald the beginning of unexpected events.
Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash
Take Isaac Asimov’s “Nemesis”, where the passage of a comet heralds a cosmic journey. In Carl Sagan’s “Contact”, a radio astronomer picks up a message from an alien civilisation hidden in the noise of a comet.
The universe, and the fact that we can barely see its surface as the sky, has always been a fascinating subject for mankind. A great example of this is “Somnium” (meaning “The Dream”), written by Johannes Kepler in the 17th century and considered one of the first works of science fiction, which tells the story of a boy called Duracotus who travels to the moon.
Meanwhile, Herbert George Wells had a lesser-known short story called “The Star” (from “The Door in the Wall and Other Stories”), written in 1897, which begins with astronomers observing a star approaching the solar system. They calculate that it will pass close to, or even collide with, the Earth. As the star approaches, reactions range from apathy to panic. But the underlying idea is how insignificant the human race and its achievements are in the grand scheme of the universe. “The Star” is credited with creating a sub-genre that depicts an impact event of such planetary proportions. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke also mentions this story in his story “Rendezvous with Rama”.
Another of Wells’ novels, “In the Days of the Comet”, written ten years later in 1906, tells the story of a comet that releases a strange gas that leads to a transformation of society and the world. The novel explores themes of love, redemption and the potential for human progress. Needless to say, the human elements he explored in both novels seem so appropriate when compared to the celestial bodies and us.
Whether it’s a comet, a meteor shower, a star or a planet, our great aspirations have always transcended our brief existence. It is this collective curiosity that makes celestial phenomena so fascinating. Consequently, the prospect of not having the opportunity to observe the heavens during such extraordinary events leaves me feeling more than disheartened.
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