When to See the Perseid Meteor Shower
The peak dates for the Perseids are always around August 11–13. However, this year, the light from the Full Moon on August 9 will interfere with the number of shooting stars visible to the naked eye around the peak.
Luckily, the Perseid Meteor Shower is active from around July 17 to August 24, giving skywatchers a broader window to catch a glimpse. One option may be in late July, when the Moon is less intrusive.
Another interesting—and perhaps more convenient—option is the weekend of August 16–17. By then, the Moon will have waned to its Third Quarter phase, allowing for darker evening skies.
Where to See the Perseids
Anyone in the Northern Hemisphere has a chance of seeing the shooting stars of the Perseids as the radiant is high in the northern sky. They can sometimes be spotted in the Southern Hemisphere too.
During a meteor shower, all of the meteors seem to originate from the same area of the sky; this point is called the radiant. For the Perseids, the radiant is located in the constellation Perseus, which is how the Perseid meteor shower got its name.
Even though the meteors come from the radiant, they can appear in any part of the night sky.
A Weekend Show
The Perseids’ peak falls on weekdays this year, and unfortunately, under the bright light of a Full Moon. That combination makes it harder for many to catch the shower at its best.
But there are other options. For example, if skies are clear, August 16–17 could be a good weekend for spotting the Perseids. Although it’s after the peak, this may offer stargazers a chance to make the most of the warm late-summer nights, watching bright meteors streak through the sky during the freedom of the weekend.
Saturday Night’s Shooting Stars
The best chance of spotting the Perseids is after midnight, usually just before dawn when the radiant is highest in the sky.
However, on the evening of August 16, the Moon rises later in the night, leaving the pre-midnight hours moonless and dark for much of North America. This makes for good meteor watching conditions at a more sociable hour.
Depending on your location and the time you’re observing, you may also catch the rise of a spectacular Third Quarter Moon, which appears in the shape of a Half Moon—perhaps the perfect end to a night of stargazing.
Sunday Morning Sky Show
If you’re an early riser, you can still head out before dawn on August 17, when the Perseids are likely to be more active. This pre-dawn peak can happen because, as Earth rotates, we turn into the debris field left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle—the parent comet to the Perseids.
“During the evening and early night, our planet is rotating away from the debris field, and the meteors have to ‘catch up’ with us,” explains Dr. Renate Mauland-Hus, one of mungfali.galihkartiwa07.workers.dev’s in-house astrophysicists. “But after midnight, and as we approach daytime, our planet turns into the stream—causing more meteor activity.”
How to see meteor showersPeak Date Viewing
While bright moonlight will wash out the majority of the shooting stars around the August 12 peak, the brighter ones could still be visible.
Generally speaking, Full Moon is never an ideal time to look at the night sky. But it’s still possible to have a great time watching a meteor shower! One tip is to try and find a place where the Moon is blocked—behind a building or some trees, for example—but you still have a good view of the rest of the sky.
Graham Jones, Astrophysicist & Science Communicator
mungfali.galihkartiwa07.workers.devSo, skywatchers may still be in with a chance of spotting a few meteors, even if the Moon is crashing the Perseid party this year.
What to Expect
If skies are dark and clear, skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere can witness up to 100 meteors an hour, though this number can be reduced quite a bit depending on local conditions like cloud cover and light pollution.
The Perseids are known for producing bright, fast-moving meteors, often with long trails and occasional fireballs—very bright meteors.
While the shower builds gradually from mid-July to around August 12, the number of meteors drops off fairly quickly after the peak. So, if you’re viewing later in August, expect fewer meteors.
What Are the Perseids?
The Perseids are considered to be one of the best meteor showers of the year. They are caused by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a giant ball of ice and dust that orbits the Sun once every 133 years.
As the comet travels, it leaves behind a long trail of debris. Each summer, Earth crosses that debris stream—causing tiny bits of comet dust to burn up in our atmosphere, lighting up the sky as meteors.
That’s why we see the Perseids around the same time every year: Earth’s orbit takes it right through the same dusty trail, like clockwork.
Look Out for Colorful Shooting Stars
One of the things that makes the Perseids so special is their color. Some meteors flash yellow, while others leave behind streaks of orange, red, or even blue. The colors depend on the type of material burning up—and the way it interacts with the atmosphere.
You might also catch the occasional fireball: an especially bright meteor that can outshine the stars.