Understanding the Perseid's Motion in Relation to the Sun

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the motion of the Perseid meteor shower in relation to the Sun, exploring the nature of its orbit and the relationship to its parent comet. Participants seek to clarify the mechanics behind the annual occurrence of the meteor shower.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the motion of the Perseids, initially thinking they move like a comet but realizing they appear annually at the same time.
  • Another participant explains that the dust and debris of the Perseid meteor shower are in a highly elliptical orbit around the Sun, following the path of the parent comet that produces the debris.
  • This participant notes that as the parent comet completes its orbit, new material is released, contributing to the existing debris from previous orbits.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion does not appear to have any explicit disagreements, but it reflects a lack of consensus on the initial understanding of the Perseid's motion, with one participant seeking clarification and others providing explanations.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not delve into specific mathematical details or assumptions regarding the orbits, nor does it address the implications of the elliptical paths in depth.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in astronomy, particularly those looking to understand meteor showers and their relationship to comets.

Vrbic
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Hello I have probably stupid question, but I can't explain it. First I thought, that they move like comet, but then I realized, that we are meeting every year in same date. On the other hand, they can't just sit in the space. The sun would attract them. So what exactly is happening? What is a motion of Perseids with respect to the sun?
Thank you for yours respond.
 
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hi there

the dust and debris that is the Perseid ( or any other ) meteor shower is in orbit around the sun in a highly elliptical path
This is the path that the parent comet for that shower, that produced the debris, takes around the sun
and each time the comet does a trip around its orbit, the new material coming off the comet adds to the remaining material from previous orbits

http://starryskies.com/The_sky/events/meteors/comet.orbit.jpgcheers
Dave
 
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davenn said:
hi there

the dust and debris that is the Perseid ( or any other ) meteor shower is in orbit around the sun in a highly elliptical path
This is the path that the parent comet for that shower that produced the debris takes around the sun
and each time the comet does a trip around its orbit, the new material coming off the comet adds to the remaining material from previous orbits

cheers
Dave

Thank you very much for explaining ;)
 
Vrbic said:
Thank you very much for explaining ;)

hope that was enough ?
any other Q's just ask :smile:Dave
 
davenn said:
hope that was enough ?
any other Q's just ask :smile:Dave
I have many questions, but this was urgent :) I tried to find out it by myself, but I failed. The others I have to try also and study after this I will ask...don't worry...I will :) Thank you again ;)
 
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