Open data and the magic of the stars: A spectacular view of the sky in August

Every year, between 17 July and 24 August, the night sky puts on a beautiful show known as the Perseid Meteor Shower. The peak of this meteor shower is also known as the celebration of San Lorenzo, or the night of the shooting stars, which took place on the night of 12 August. This annual event captivates stargazers around the world with an amazing display of 100 meteors per hour when the Earth passes through the debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.  

People across Europe gathered to witness San Lorenzo, often associated with making wishes upon the shooting stars. Open data plays a role in enhancing the understanding and appreciation of what the sky has to offer. For instance, our data story on satellite data highlights the critical applications of the EU Space Programme, showcasing how satellite technology is used for weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and GPS data. 

Moreover, data.europa.eu offers datasets related to meteorology and stars, like the Swedish meteorological observations, that helps you determine whether the sky will be clear enough to watch stars. The European Space Agency also publishes open data for people interested in global data on the atmosphere. Moreover, NASA’s data portal provides access to aerospace data. By leveraging these types of open data, patterns from the past can be analysed and predictions for the future can be made on what type of comets or meteors are approaching the Earth.  

So, get your binoculars ready and enjoy the shooting stars in August during these special evenings. And don’t forget to use open data to predict when the night sky will be full of stars again.  

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