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🌠 A shooting star 🏺 Of Perseus 👑 A descendant
Perseid

Perseid

1 7.9
A meteor seen in the Perseid meteor shower in August
  • noun
  • /ˈpɜrsiˌɪd/
: perseida
  • They watched for their Perseid shower from the old city walls of Ciudad Rodrigo, in the province of Salamanca, where they were stopping at the Parador Nacional.
  • Perseid meteor
  • Perseid meteor shower

And so I went out to look at the Perseids on top of, you know, trunks of cars.

Examples

  • Most years, the Moon makes its presence felt during the Perseid meteor shower.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Perseid meteors arise from the debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a periodic comet that has made countless trips around the Sun.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The Perseid meteor shower will put on a nice show this year.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The Perseid meteor shower ranks among the observing highlights of summer.

    Academic text (2004)

  • When most people think of meteors, their thoughts turn to warm August nights gazing at the annual spectacle of the Perseid shower.

    Academic text (2005)

  • We spent our time at a 12,000-acre ranch in the middle of Nebraska exploring nature, and we planned to watch the Perseid meteor shower.

    Blog text (3)

  • Since this particular week in August coincided with the annual Perseid meteor shower, which peaked on August 12/13, 2006, I was hoping to capture not only my first Perseid meteors but also my first meteors on digital.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Every August, stargazers eagerly await the Perseid meteor shower, known for its brilliant streaks across the night sky.

  • During the Perseid meteor shower, you can often see dozens of meteors per hour radiating from the constellation Perseus.

  • Many people camp outside to watch the Perseid meteor shower, as it offers a spectacular display of falling stars.

Synonyms

meteor
vsPerseid
  • Specialized
155 4.1

A small rock from space that burns up as a bright streak in the sky

is a specific annual type seen in August appearing to come from Perseus

Surface Forms

Perseid singular
Perseids plural

Morphology

Perseid = Perseus (semi-transparent) = Perseus + id

The meteor name is formed from Perseus + -id, but the astronomical reference is conventional and not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Perseid comes from Perseus and the ending -id, meaning 'from' or 'belonging to', because the meteor shower looks as if the meteors come from the constellation Perseus. So a Perseid is one of the meteors seen in that August shower that appears to 'come from' Perseus.