The cosmic origin story
The radiant point illusion
The myth of the hero
Tears and science through time
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why we name August's meteors after Perseus
sonia The Tears of Saint Lawrence
We call them tears of Saint Lawrence, but it's just comet dust burning in the air.
sonia Cultures worldwide observed the August meteors, attributing them to various spiritual and natural events.
sonia Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli first proved that meteor showers are caused by comets.
sonia Test your knowledge of astronomy and history in this game about why we associate August's meteor showers with Perseus's weeping stars.
Ancient records: The oldest known written record of the Perseid meteor shower comes from Chinese astronomers in the year 36 AD.
A prolific annual meteor shower that peaks in August and appears to radiate from the constellation Perseus. In 1865, Giovanni Schiaparelli proved that these meteors, historically called Saint Lawrence's tears, originate from a comet.
What planet's massive gravity occasionally alters the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle's debris?
Why do the Perseids remain so reliable and dense year after year compared to other showers?
In which country were the earliest recorded observations of the Perseids written down in 36 AD?
How did some Indigenous North American cultures, like the Shawnee, interpret the falling stars?
In what year did Saint Lawrence suffer martyrdom, linking his feast day to the meteors?
Which astronomer first proved the connection between the Perseids and Comet Swift-Tuttle in 1866?