Perseid meteor shower tonight: When and how to see the stunning display
Tonight marks the start of the iconic Perseid meteor shower, visible in South Africa from July 17 through August 23, 2025, with its peak around August 12–13.
For South African stargazers, the best time to watch is during the early morning hours, ideally between midnight and sunrise, when the radiant (in the constellation Perseus) is highest in the sky.
However, this year's stunning show is slightly dimmed by a bright (84%) Sturgeon Moon around the peak.
How to watch the Perseids?
To maximize your chances, plan your viewing for July 18–28, when moonlight is minimal (from last quarter to new moon), or just before dawn on August 12–13.
Find a spot away from city lights—somewhere dark and open—then lie back, let your eyes adjust, and watch the sky between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. for the best meteor activity before moonlight brightens the night.
What causes Perseids?
Like all meteor showers, the Perseids happen when Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by a comet or large asteroid. In this case, the spectacular streaks in the sky come from Comet Swift–Tuttle — a giant among comets, with a nucleus about 26 km wide, making it the largest known comet to regularly come close to Earth.
To put that in perspective, it's roughly twice the size of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, according to Space.com. Comet Swift–Tuttle last swept through the inner solar system in 1992, and it won't return again until 2125.
Also read: Elderly woman dies after jumping from Atterbury bridge on N1
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