Every year in August, just when many people go on holiday to the country where the sky is dark, the most famous meteor shower appears: the Perseids.
This year, the Perseid meteor shower will peak during the night hours of late Sunday night through early Monday morning (Aug. 11-12), when there will be almost no moon, leaving a nice dark late-night sky for shooting stargazers and meteor watchers. The first quarter moon will set around 11:20 p.m. local daylight saving time, leaving a nice dark sky after that. Some Perseids will appear in the evening, but the shower is always best from around 11 p.m. or midnight through the early morning light.
Or, to put it another way, expect to see more meteors in the hours before sunrise, as your side of the Earth is more focused on the approaching meteors.
Want more advice on photographing meteor showers like the Perseids? Check out our guide to photographing meteors and meteor showers . And if you need meteor photography gear, check out our pages on the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
Where to look
In the hours after midnight, the meteor shower's radiant point (the point from which it appears to originate), located between the constellation Perseus and the 'W' of Cassiopeia, will move higher and higher to the northeast. Meteors will also flash across the sky at a rate of about one every minute or two (as seen by a single observer).
At least that's the forecast if your sky is nice and dark. But even if you live under moderate light pollution, as most of us unfortunately do, you'll still be able to see at least the brightest Perseids. They've often been described in astronomical journals as "many bright and fragmenting meteors" that leave persistent trails in their wake.
The earth should pass through the thickest part of this "old familiar" of meteor showers for many hours centered around 1400 UTC on August 12, which is 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on that date, which is daytime across North America. So for meteor watchers here, the night before and perhaps even after might be just as good. Fortunately, the Perseids remain active - about a quarter of their peak strength - for several days before and a day or two after their peak, and occasionally one can be seen almost anytime during the month of August.
A Perseid is a meteor shower whose path, when traced backwards across the sky, crosses a spot between the constellations Perseus and Cassiopeia. Other "sporadic" meteors, traveling in random directions, occur every 5 or 10 minutes. Two much weaker meteor showers are also active at this time of year, the Delta Aquariids and Kappa Cygnids.
Sit back, relax and wait
You don't need any experience to see the Perseids. Just find a spot with a wide view of the sky and no night lights nearby. Dress warmly (it can get cold sometimes, even on summer nights), lie down on a floor mattress or in a sleeping bag or even better, on a lounge chair and look at the stars. Also, cover exposed parts of your body with mosquito repellent so you don't get bitten.
Be patient and give your eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness. The direction you should look is not necessarily towards Perseus, but where your sky is darkest, probably straight up.
The Perseids are the ionization trails created by small bits of debris from comet 109/P Swift-Tuttle, which are streaked into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of 60 km per second. The Perseids were particularly dramatic in the early to mid-1990s, around the year of Swift-Tuttle's most recent return (in December 1992). However, they have since returned to normal. The comet is not due to return until August 2126.
Surprising events
But surprises can always happen.
On the morning of August 14, 2021, the Perseids showed an unexpected outburst of meteors between 06:00 and 09:00 UT (2 to 5 a.m. EDT). The cause of this outburst is currently unknown, but is likely the result of an unknown filament of cometary debris produced by Swift-Tuttle as it raced through the inner solar system many eons ago.
In an announcement on Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Circular #5016the maximum zenithal hourly rate was estimated at somewhere between 130 and 210, plus or minus 20. Astonishing numbers when you consider that rates are normally 50% lower each preceding night after the maximum, but these rates are two to three times more than was observed during the expected maximum on the night of August 12-13, 2021.
In four years "could" produce a truly amazing Perseid display, as some meteor experts predict that the Earth will come into contact with a thick knot or clump of meteoric material, originating from Comet Swift-Tuttle in the 15th century. This could potentially produce a short-lived display of hundreds of meteors per hour.
Contrary to predictions
Sometimes, even in years considered favorable for Perseid viewing, skywatchers report seeing only half or a third of the meteors predicted-and still others report seeing twice as many! It has been suggested that the stream of Perseid particles, extending along its orbit around the Sun, has a complex filamentary structure with holes and rich spots.
Further complicating the situation, some people have eyes that seem more suited to meteor research than others.
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Regardless of your local viewing conditions, the appearance of the Perseids each year gives many people a reason to get outside and gaze up at the night sky. Even if you only see a few "shooting stars," all it takes is one remarkably bright meteor to make the viewing experience worthwhile.
A final incentive is to note that next year the Moon will be in a waning gibbous phase, just a few days from full, and will flood the sky with a bright light that will crush all but the brightest Perseid streaks. So take advantage of the favorable conditions offered to us this year.
We wish everyone good luck and clear skies!
Joe Rao is a lecturer and visiting professor at New York's Hayden PlanetariumHe writes about astronomy for Natural History magazinethe Farmers' Almanac and other publications.
