The Perseids 2020 meteor shower just got easier to see: how to watch

It’s mid-August, which means the annual Perseid meteor shower is active and will be until August 24. The Perseids are among the best and the brightest. lots of shooting stars, and although they have already peaked, it may be easier to see them now with the moon entering its dark phase.

This infamous downpour occurs around this time each year as Earth drifts through a cloud of debris left behind by giant comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle. Bits of dust, pebbles, and other cosmic detritus enter our atmosphere, burning in brief streaks of light and even an occasional fireball that crosses the night sky.

Technically, the Perseids 2020 peaked on the evening of Tuesday August 11 and the morning of Wednesday August 12, but that doesn’t mean the show is over. Far from it, in fact. The moon is just a small crescent in the night sky on Monday night and will be an invisible new moon starting Tuesday night. It’s one less light source in the sky to wash away all those Perseids.

The popularity of the shower is a combination of being one of the strongest, with up to 100 meteors visible per hour on average, and coinciding with hot summer nights in the northern hemisphere. .

In general, a good strategy is to go looking for the Perseids as late in the evening as possible, but it’s worth seeing all you can whenever you can.

This mid-peak downpour with totally dark skies could be pretty much the same as the full peak with a bright moon, so don’t think you’ve already missed it if you haven’t made it to the top.

Once you’ve decided on the perfect time and a location with minimal light interference and a wide view of the sky, lie back, let your eyes adjust and relax. Pillows, blankets, lounge chairs and refreshments make this an ideal experience. It may take around 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, so please be patient. If you follow all of my advice, you are almost guaranteed to see a meteor.

It doesn’t matter where you look in the sky, as long as you have a wide view. That said, the Perseids will appear to radiate from the constellation of Perseus, the hero. If you want to practice being an advanced meteor watcher, locate Perseus and try to focus there as you watch. Then just try to watch without focusing anywhere. See if you notice a difference. We are always grappling with the unpredictability of nature, so results will vary.

Perhaps the best part of the Perseids each year is the wonderful photos we get from talented astrophotographers spending long nights outdoors.

As always, if you catch any beauties yourself, then share them with me on Twitter or Instagram @EricCMack.