Perseids

The legendary Perseid meteor shower will peak in the next few days.

It’s expected to display the greatest number of meteors Sunday morning (August 12), late Sunday night and Monday morning (August 13) before dawn. But you’ll see some Perseids Saturday (August 11) before dawn, too.

The moon is new on Sunday, or between the Earth and sun. This new moon will leave the night sky dark all this weekend for the Perseid meteors. These meteors are named for the constellation Perseus the Hero. If you trace the paths of the meteors backwards, they seem to stream from this constellation.

You don’t need to identify Perseus to enjoy the meteor shower. The Perseids are an especially rich and dependable meteor shower. They shoot all across the sky – often leaving persistent trains – and occasionally lighting things up with bright fireballs. To watch the show, find a dark, open sky. Get away from city lights, and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. The Perseid shower favors northern hemisphere skywatchers. Again, the best time to watch: Sunday morning, late Sunday night and Monday morning before dawn. At its peak, the Perseids typically produce 60 or more meteors per hour.