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2d ago

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight Under New‑Moon Skies

Dark new‑moon skies promise unusually good visibility, with local clouds, wildfire smoke, light pollution determining what viewers actually see.

The Perseids are the biggest meteor shower of the summer.
Pictured is the Perseid meteor shower.
A meteor during the Perseid meteor shower seen over Happisburgh lighthouse, Norfolk, as the Earth flies through a cloud of cometary dust creating a spectacular display of celestial fireworks.
Image

Overview

  • The Perseid meteor shower will peak overnight on Wednesday into Thursday, Aug. 12–13, when Earth crosses the densest part of debris from comet 109P/Swift‑Tuttle.
  • Agencies differ on expected counts: NASA says ideal, rural, cloudless skies could show up to about 100 meteors per hour while the American Meteor Society estimates roughly 30 to 50 per hour in typical rural locations.
  • Observers are advised to watch after midnight into the pre‑dawn hours from a dark site away from city lights, to let eyes adapt for 20–30 minutes and to use the naked eye for the widest view.
  • NASA will host a virtual all‑night watch party with live sky cameras beginning around 12 a.m. ET Thursday for people blocked by local weather, smoke or light pollution.
  • The Perseids come from Swift‑Tuttle, a comet on a 133‑year orbit whose debris produces fast meteors (about 37 miles per second) and frequent bright fireballs that can leave glowing trains across the sky.