How to see the peak of the Perseid meteor showers in August

• The Perseids, which NASA says is the best meteor shower of the year, occur every summer.
• The rain started in late July, but meteor activity will peak on August 11 and 12.
• The Perseids are known for their epic “fireball” meteors. Here are the best ways to see them.

NASA calls the annual Perseid meteor shower the best of the year, thanks to the many bright meteors that cross the night sky.

The Perseid shower 2021 will culminate next week. According to NASA, people could see up to 100 meteors per hour on Wednesday and Thursday, as Earth passes through a cloud of cometary debris. These meteors are known for their epic “fireballs” – explosions of light and color that last longer than typical meteors – and their long trails.

The Perseids are active for about a month each summer – NASA spotted the first Perseid meteor of the year July 26, and predicts that the shower will last until August 24.

Here’s how to see the peak of the Perseids next week.

No need for binoculars or telescopes

Sky and telescope / Dennis di Cicco

The Perseids are particularly visible in the northern hemisphere, but can be seen around the world. To maximize your chances of seeing them, find a dark location with a clear view of an open, cloudless sky. The area should be as far away as possible from light sources. (If you’re in a city, you might still spot a few meteors every hour, NASA said.)

You can view the shower from around 9 p.m. local time. It’s just after dusk, when you can expect long-tailed meteors lower in the sky. The best time to see the show, however, is around 2 a.m., as more meteors are visible before dawn.

You can spot the Perseids with the naked eye. In fact, NASA advises against using telescopes or binoculars because these instruments show only a small part of the sky at a time and meteors can come from any direction.

It helps to allow about half an hour for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Avoid staring at your phone, as the bright light on the screen can interfere with your ability to see fainter meteors.

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

The Perseid meteor shower peaks every year around mid-August, but last year the moon was in its last quarter phase and rose just before the rain peaked, so its brightness reduced the number of meteors visible.

This year, however, the crescent moon will only be illuminated by around 13% by the sun on August 11 and 12. This should make it easier to see more meteors during the peak of the rain. It’s worth the effort to watch next week, as the peak meteor shower in 2022 will coincide with a bright full moon.

If you can’t get out to see the Perseids live, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is hosting a live stream on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube from 11 p.m. ET Wednesday to 6 a.m. ET on August 12.

Where did the Perseids come from

The annual rain takes its name from the constellation Perseus, where meteors appear to come from the sky.

Nasa

But Perseus is not really the source of the celestial light show. The Perseids occur when Earth’s orbit passes through a pathway of space debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Pieces of rock debris the size of grains of sand and peas are crashing through our atmosphere at a speed of 37 miles per second, or about 133,000 mph. As they burn, they leave trails of fire in the night sky.

It takes more than a month for Earth to pass through the wake of Swift-Tuttle, which is why the Perseids last so long.

The peak of the meteor shower occurs when our planet passes through the densest part of the comet’s debris trail.