Topline
The Perseid meteor shower, which began just over two weeks ago, is expected to reach its peak by the end of next week, putting one of the year’s biggest meteor showers on full display in the night sky—here’s the best chance to catch it.
The Perseid meteor will peak later this month.
Key Facts
The Perseid meteor shower—typically one of the biggest and most dependable showers in the northern hemisphere—began mid-way through July, and runs through September 1, though astronomers say the best chance to see it will be the night of Saturday, August 12 and the early-morning hours on Sunday, August 13.
Although the Perseids are visible throughout the month of August, the visibility of the astronomical dust and rock particles, better known as “shooting stars,” has so far been obstructed by the beaming light of the full “supermoon” Tuesday night, and will be obstructed later this month during the so-called Sturgeon supermoon on August 30-31—the moon will be 10% full on August 12-13.
To best see them, astronomers recommend observing the night sky from areas with little to no light pollution, or the atmospheric haze created by bright lights on the ground, meaning forests will bode better for meteor gazing—though a cloudy night could ruin chances of seeing it altogether.
Researchers also suggest putting away bright flashlights, smartphones or other devices with bright lights that can obscure people’s night-time vision, knocking it out for up to 20 minutes, meaning it would take longer to adjust to seeing the night sky after staring at a screen.
Big Number
100. That’s the maximum number of “shooting stars” visible during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, according to NASA, though people typically witness between 50 and 75 per hour, or one per minute, according to the American Meteor Society.
Contra
“Shooting stars” are not stars at all, but rather particles of dust and rock that burn as they approach the Earth’s atmosphere. Those particles, called meteors, are broken off from a comet known as 109P or Comet Swift-Tuttle as it zooms through the inner solar system. The comet itself, which was first discovered in 1862, only appears visible from the Earth in intervals of up to 200 years and was last seen in 1992, though particles from it are observed every summer in the northern hemisphere as the Earth passes the particles left behind from the comet.
Surprising Fact
The meteors are incredibly short-lived, traveling at a speed of 37 miles per second, or 133,200 miles per hour, according to NASA.
Further Reading
The Perseid Meteor Shower Has Begun: When To See It At Its Best (Forbes)
The Perseid Meteor Shower Will Peak A Week Saturday: How To Best See It (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/08/02/when-and-where-to-watch-the-perseid-meteor-shower-one-of-the-biggest-of-the-year/