Perseids shower: Will US witness 100 meteors per hour? Check timings, best places to watch the rare celestial event
Stargazers, get ready! The Perseid meteor shower, a celestial spectacle, peaks this week, gracing the night sky with potentially 100 meteors per hour. This annual event, caused by Earth traversing Comet Swift-Tuttle's debris, is best viewed in pre-dawn hours. However, a bright, waning gibbous moon may obscure fainter meteors. Prime viewing locations in the US include Utah, Arizona, and California.
The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best of the year due to how many meteors viewers can see, about 50 to 100 per hour, according to NASA.
Are you ready for Perseid meteor shower- one the year's most dazzling displays? The Perseid meteor shower is widely regarded as the best of the year but better than that, it is happening this week. The Perseid meteor shower is an annual event that occurs as Earth passes through the trail of debris shed by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.Every summer, the night sky in the northern hemisphere lights up with one of the most eagerly awaited astronomical events: the Perseid meteor shower. The rare celestial event occurs when the Earth passes through the trail of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Although this comet has an orbit of 133 years and its last visit to the inner solar system was in 1992, its debris is still in the path, offering a beautiful display of meteors every year.
ALSO READ: Perseids 2025: How to watch the year's best meteor shower despite full moon? NASA's secret tips
The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of 12 to 13 August and is active from mid-July until the end of August. It can be possible to see as many as 100 meteors an hour streaking across the sky in all directions from the radiant point. From more urban environments, expect an average of as many as one a minute. Unfortunately, this year the moon will be a waning gibbous with more than 80% of its visible surface illuminated.The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best of the year due to how many meteors viewers can see, about 50 to 100 per hour, according to NASA. ALSO READ: Last planet parade of 2025 happening today? How to watch the rare planetary alignment in the US
While the Perseid meteor shower is active from July 17 to Aug. 23, the peak is between August 12 and 13 during pre-dawn hours, NASA said. It may be possible to see meteors from the shower as early as 10 p.m. though, according to NASA.
The night of Tuesday, August 12, sky cover will be higher in southeastern U.S. states such as Georgia and North Carolina. Among the best states to see this event are the following: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, California. The astronomical phenomenon can be seen from July 17 and extends until August 24, but the peak will be between 11:00 p.m. on August 12 and 4:00 a.m. on August 13 (local time). The best times to observe them will be between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.ALSO READ: Trump deploys National Guard in Washington DC, places it under direct federal control
During this year's peak on Aug. 12, the Perseid meteor shower may be "hampered" due to an 84%-full moon, NASA said."Unfortunately, this year the Moon is nearly full on the peak night, and its glare will wash out all but the brightest meteors," NASA wrote.'A few bright meteors may still be seen in the pre-dawn hours, but viewing conditions are not ideal,' NASA wrote, adding that skywatchers could look forward to another favorite meteor shower, the Geminids, which is set for "moon-free viewing in December."Sky condition, or the average amount of the sky covered with thick clouds, also plays a role in how well viewers can see the meteor shower.Finding a spot to watch with darker skies.Allowing your eyes to become dark adapted (which can take an hour or moreMinimizing your use of bright mobile devices and flashlights, and using only ultra-dim light sources;
NASA said the best lights for stargazing are red lamps and red LEDs because red light has the smallest impact on your night vision
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