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If you take a cool photo of the Perseids 2021 meteor shower, let us know! You can send images and comments to [email protected].
The pinnacle of the Perseid’s annual meteor shower performance is right at hand, with maximum activity from this display occurring late tonight (August 11) through the early hours of Friday morning (August 13).
The Perseids will appear to spring from a region of the sky close to the famous double star cluster in the northern region of the constellation Perseus, which will rise in the northeastern part of the sky overnight tonight.
Some sources have stated that Wednesday evening until Thursday morning is the peak of the shower, however, in my recent column here, I pointed out that according to the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), Earth will experience a peak activity of 15 hours to 6 hours. pm EDT (1900-2200 GMT) August 12 – corresponding to mid to late afternoon hours for North America.
Webcasts: Perseid meteor shower 2021: how to watch it live tonight
While meteor activity from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning is likely to be quite good, IMO forecasts suggest that meteor activity will be just as good, if not perhaps a bit more robust for Thursday evening through ‘to early Friday morning.
If you were clouded over last night, don’t despair. You may have another chance late tonight until early tomorrow, depending on local weather.
You can also watch the Perseid meteor shower via webcasts from several sources, including NASA, the McDonald Observatory, and the Virtual Telescope Project. You can see our full recap of the Perseids 2021 webcast here.
Better views (and worse views)
See the attached map. We have classified the weather conditions into three categories: “Good” (0-33% cloud cover); “Fair” (34-66% cloud cover); “Poor” (67-100% cloud cover).
Those hoping to get a good view of the 2021 peak of the Perseids in the United States should find the best odds of clear skies over the Pacific Northwest, California, the Intermountain, the Northern High Plains, the Upper Midwest, as well as the center and the east. Texas, Southeast Oklahoma and much of Arkansas. Another area with good weather prospects could be along the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia and the central Florida peninsula.
All of these areas should see mostly clear skies in the hours leading up to dawn on Friday. Exceptions can be found along the immediate Pacific coast where a marine layer could cause low clouds and areas of fog. But this situation can be corrected by traveling inland where the cloud cover and fog will break and the skies will clear up.
Partial cloudiness, always offering good breaks or intervals of generally clear sky, will be found over the Central High Plains, parts of western and northern Texas, central Oklahoma, the deep south and the south -est, including the Florida Panhandle, the Lower Ohio Valley, the Appalachians, and the Atlantic Corridor.
Unfortunately, a cold front draped over northern New England and northern New York, south and west of the Lower Great Lakes to the heartland and central Rocky Mountains, will likely bring cloud cover. considerable as well as scattered showers and thunderstorms, which but obscure a view of this year’s Perseid performance. Those living in South Florida may also be excluded from the sight of midsummer “shooting stars” thanks to the clouds and precipitation announcing the approach of Tropical Storm Fred from the north. from Cuba.
Of course, we stress that our national perspective is only a generalization – a “general examination” of sky conditions from coast to coast. For a more detailed and localized perspective, we suggest that you check the latest updated forecast from your local National Weather Service (NWS) office. Click here to go to the NWS organization page and find the region you are in (i.e. central, east, south, west), then search for your state and what forecast office covers your particular area.
Mist and smoke
The wildfires that have raged in recent weeks in parts of the western United States and Canada have created a swath of smoke and haze that engulfed much of North America. This made viewing the sky problematic, even for places where the sky is predominantly clear.
Depending on the thickness of the haze and smoke (which changes daily), viewers noticed both the sunlight and moonlight fade and take on undertones of yellow, orange, and red even when ‘they are high in the sky. The stars also appeared darker as they shine through the smoke and haze. It could also be a factor in the number of meteors observed; the light from most of the fainter streaks can end up being drowned out by the layer of smoke and haze.
Fortunately, a good number of Perseids are brilliant and will probably still be able to shine. Again, however, a lot depends on the local conditions where you find yourself. You can view an interactive fire and smoke map showing where the smoke layer is most dense, as well as the local air quality by clicking here.
Good luck and clear skies!
Joe Rao is an instructor and guest speaker at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes on astronomy for Journal of natural history, the Farmers Almanac and other publications. Follow us on twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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