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3d ago

Perseid Meteor Shower Is Active and Heading Toward an Exceptional New-Moon Peak

A new moon on the night of August 12–13 should create especially dark skies that could reveal bright meteors and lingering fireballs.

The Perseids, an annual meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere, starts on July 17 and will peak around Aug. 12 this year. Here, the Perseids are seen in 2004 against a backdrop of aurora borealis above Joshua Tree National Park in 2024.
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Overview

  • The shower, which began Friday, July 17, will run through August 24 and is expected to reach its maximum overnight on August 12–13 when Earth crosses the densest part of the debris stream.
  • With the peak coinciding with a new moon, astronomers and the American Meteor Society say observers under dark skies could see as many as about 100 meteors per hour.
  • The best chance to see Perseids is after midnight into the predawn hours from a dark-sky site; viewers should use the naked eye, give their eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adapt, and avoid telescopes or binoculars.
  • The Perseids often produce bright fireballs that can leave glowing trails, and scientists ask anyone who sees an unusually bright meteor to report details to the American Meteor Society to help locate possible meteorites.
  • Public interest may spike because a total solar eclipse occurs hours before the peak for some regions, but local weather such as coastal fog or incoming storms and the need to travel to low-light sites will shape who actually sees the show.