Perseids: Best times, places to watch August meteor shower peak

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The August sky will be illuminated by the year’s greatest meteor shower.

The Perseids meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, August 12, and Wednesday, August 13. It lasts until August 23. The Perseids can produce up to 50 to 100 meteors per hour under the correct circumstances, and the moon may influence what we see this year.

Watchers can anticipate approximately 35 meteors per hour this year.

NASA claims that some of these meteors are fireballs that can leave behind them in the form of lengthy wakes of vivid color and light.

Although you might be able to see meteors as early as 10 p.m. local time, the optimum viewing times will be before dawn, specifically around 2 to 3 a.m.

The remaining comet particles from 109P/Swift-Tuttle are what give rise to the Perseids. According to NASA, as comets orbit the sun, the dusty path they leave behind collides with the Earth’s atmosphere to produce shooting stars. According to NASA, the meteors can be seen throughout the sky, and the Perseids seem to originate from the constellation Perseus, which gives it its name. However, this is only a guide.

Viewing tips


  • Look for an area with a clear view of the sky and away from light pollution.

  • Give your eyes time to adjust to the dark before sitting back and taking in as much of the sky as possible.

  • Stay off your phone light from your phone makes it harder to see the shooting stars.

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