NEW YORK – The Perseid meteor shower is back, and this year, the viewing conditions are particularly exciting for those in the Northern Hemisphere!
The peak of this summer light show will occur from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Interestingly, this coincides with a total solar eclipse visible from Spain, Iceland, and Greenland, as well as the alignment of six planets in the night sky. However, the best time to catch those shooting stars will be after the eclipse’s totality.
Under the best conditions, you could see between 50 to 100 meteors per hour, according to NASA. The American Meteor Society suggests that rural areas might offer a view of 30 to 50 meteors per hour. Pretty cool, right?
So, what exactly are these meteors? Well, they’re actually remnants from comets and asteroids that collide with Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, creating those beautiful streaks of light we see, commonly referred to as shooting stars. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through debris trails left by comets, and the Perseids specifically come from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes about 133 years to orbit the sun.
The Perseids have been observed for over 2,000 years, making them a favorite among stargazers. They are particularly known for their bright fireballs, and the warm summer nights make it easier for people to stay outside and enjoy the show.
Astronomer Zach Vanderbosch from McDonald Observatory in Texas shared, “We don’t have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors.”
This year, the moon will be in its new moon phase during the peak, which is fantastic news for meteor watchers. Astronomer Aparna Venkatesan from the University of San Francisco explained, “New moon means we don’t have moonlight flooding the sky, and you tend to see way more meteors as a result.”
To see the meteors, find a dark place away from city lights after dark. The best time to watch will be between midnight and dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky. The meteors will appear to radiate from this constellation.
Give your eyes about half an hour to adjust to the darkness. Vanderbosch suggests focusing on a specific patch of sky until you spot a bright streak passing by, even in your peripheral vision. And remember, avoid looking at your phone!
“There’s just something magical about it,” Vanderbosch said, capturing the wonder of this celestial event.
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