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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

‘The probability of seeing a falling star is great’: How to watch Thursday night’s meteor shower in Switzerland

Thursday night’s Perseid meteor shower is expected to be the best in years due to favourable conditions. Here’s how you can catch it.

Published: 12 August 2021 18:12 CEST
‘The probability of seeing a falling star is great’: How to watch Thursday night's meteor shower in Switzerland
Photo by Neil Rosenstech on Unsplash

Meteorologists are predicting clear skies tonight, Thursday, August 12th, allowing people across Switzerland to watch the Perseid meteor shower.

This phenomenon occurs when the Earth crosses the path of the debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet. 

This event occurs annually between, approximately, July 20th and August 25th, with a peak in intensity between August 11th and 15th. 

The most active night this year is August 12th to 13th.

Experts estimate that tonight around 110 shooting stars could be seen per hour, with two peaks at 10 pm and 3:37 am.

‘Cosmic dust’

The light show is a consequence of “cosmic dust”, not falling or shooting stars. 

Although it might sound like a bad Jamiroquai album or something you might be offered by a man wearing an unbuttoned shirt in a nightclub, “cosmic dust” is actually a scientific term.

“You can think of it as a collision between the earth and the cosmic dust trail,” explains Martin Jäger, from the Mirasteilas Observatory. 

Jäger told Südostschweiz “the swarm is interstellar ‘dirt’”

“You can think of it as a collision between the earth and the cosmic dust trail.”

“That is what stargazers from Earth ultimately perceive as a shooting star,” says Jäger.

How can I catch the meteor shower? 

For best visibility, choose a dark, unlit place and look towards the northeast and Perseus constellation.

Experts suggest you get out there early so as to make sure your eyes adjust to the light. 

If you need help, there are various sky map applications to download to your smartphone.

For a detailed explanation of how to best see the show, check out the following link. 

READ MORE: Top tips for watching the meteor shower in Switzerland

Markus Griesser, head of the Eschenberg observatory in Winterthur ZH, told Swiss tabloid Blick said you will be “able to see the falling stars from everywhere”. 

Griesser said the weather was important, as was proximity to the cities. 

“The probability that you will see a falling star is great,” says Griesser. But the weather also has to take part. “A cloudless view of the sky is ideal.”

“In cities, the shooting stars are often difficult to see because of the many artificial lights.”

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TRAVEL NEWS

Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Twenty years after the US began sharing a database of those flying in and out of the country in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Switzerland is set to follow suit - but not without some outside pressure. 

Published: 16 May 2024 15:51 CEST
Why is Switzerland going to collect a database of flight passengers?

Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems are databases that operate by flagging and tracking individuals who may pose a security risk. 

The data includes the name, destination, means of payment, and type of baggage for each passenger arriving or leaving a country via its airports. 

Until now, Switzerland has not participated in a PNR system in a way that allows data to be freely accessible to partners such as the EU and the US. 

Indeed, for years, it has been possible to circumvent the EU’s PNR systems by flying into Switzerland and crossing a land border with the EU. 

Now, however, Switzerland is being forced to comply. 

The United States has threatened Switzerland’s place in their Visa Waiver Program unless they share data. 

Similarly, the EU has applied significant diplomatic pressure to join their efforts – and considerable progress has already occurred, with agreements signed. 

Other countries have also signalled that Swiss carriers may withdraw their landing rights or impose heavy fines if Switzerland does not begin participating in a compliant PNR system. 

Changes in effect 2026

On Wednesday, Justice Minister Beat Jans announced at a press conference that a PNR program that worked in collaboration with other countries would come into effect in 2026. 

The reason given for the length of time it would take to go into effect was that a legal basis for the move does not yet exist in Swiss law—a dispatch on proposed legislation has only just been sent to the Federal Council.

Once passed by the Federal Council and then by the Council of States, the federal police will be responsible for tracking passengers via a new group – the Passenger Information Unit (PIU). 

The PIU will examine passenger manifests a day before and immediately before flights taking off or landing and compare them to shared lists of individuals involved in terrorism, organised crime, or who have committed violent crimes. 

If there is a match, information will be forwarded to authorities at the relevant airport.  

Privacy concerns 

Understandably, for the privacy-conscious Swiss, concerns have been raised. 

Both the right-wing SVP, the Greens and the SPD have voiced doubts about the security and privacy of passenger data. 

In response, the government has announced that all passenger data except for that relates to those linked to terrorist groups will be deleted after six months. 

To further ease concerns, Switzerland’s PNR system will be constantly monitored by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.

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