Overview
- The Perseid shower reached its peak overnight on Wednesday into Thursday, Aug. 12–13, with observers across the Northern Hemisphere recording bright meteors and fireballs.
- Forecasts varied for visible counts at the peak, with some models predicting a sparser stream and other groups estimating roughly 50–100 meteors per hour under truly dark rural skies.
- NASA ran a global livestream from Marshall Space Flight Center’s Automated Lunar and Meteor Observatory (ALaMO) and local groups held watch parties to let people view the peak when local weather or light pollution limited in-person viewing.
- Observers were advised to watch in the late-night and pre-dawn hours when the Perseid radiant is highest, to use dark sites, and to let eyes adjust for 20–30 minutes since no telescopes or binoculars are needed.
- The shower remains active but will taper through Aug. 24, with actual visibility continuing to depend on local cloud cover, urban light pollution, and the radiant’s height above the horizon.