The Perseid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night into Thursday morning, offering favorable viewing conditions for the Northern Hemisphere. The peak coincides with a new moon, meaning moonlight will not interfere with observations of the meteors.
NASA estimates that 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible under ideal conditions, while the American Meteor Society projects 30 to 50 per hour from rural areas. The Perseids are known for producing bright fireballs.
The shower occurs when Earth passes through debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years and will not return until 2125. As the comet nears the sun, ice evaporates and releases dust and rock that remain in orbit.
Observations of the Perseids date back more than 2,000 years. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which will be high in the northern sky between midnight and dawn.
Astronomers recommend finding a dark location away from city lights and clouds, then allowing eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Looking at a phone screen can disrupt night vision.
Zach Vanderbosch of McDonald Observatory in Texas notes that summer temperatures make the Perseids more comfortable to watch than winter showers. Aparna Venkatesan of the University of San Francisco plans to observe from the Sierra Nevada.
The peak also coincides with a total solar eclipse visible across Spain, Iceland, and Greenland, as well as a six-planet alignment, though the best meteor viewing will occur after totality ends.
Random meteors appear on any dark night, but annual showers like the Perseids provide predictable, concentrated displays when Earth intersects cometary debris trails.
How to spot the Perseid meteor shower, a summer light show that promises to dazzle
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