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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Everything you need to know about the Perseid meteor shower
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The will start in the evening on July 17, bringing thousands of shooting stars to skies across the Northern Hemisphere. Here's everything you need to know about it. WHAT ARE THEY? happen when a group of meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere from one specific point in the sky. Once a meteoroid enters the atmosphere, it becomes a meteor. As the atmosphere eats away at them, meteors leave a trail of debris. Because of the high speeds, they appear like a bright streak of light. The Perseids, considered the most prolific meteor shower of the year, earned the name because they appear to come from the constellation Perseus. The showers happen every night until Aug. 23 and typically peak on Aug. 12. WHERE DO METEORS COME FROM? Meteors are bits of broken asteroids and leftover particles from comets. The meteors in the Perseid meteor shower come from one specific comet: . According to NASA, Swift-Tuttle takes approximately 133 years to orbit the Sun. The comet was first discovered in 1862 by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle. Three years later, Giovanni Schiaparelli discovered that the Perseid meteors came from the comet. Swift-Tuttle last passed near Earth in 1992. It is forecasted to pass by Earth again in 2126. HOW MANY METEORS ARE THERE? Typically, the Perseids average about 25 meteors per hour, but sometimes they reach anywhere between flash in an hour. The highest rates are between 150 and 200 meteors, but that's only in 'outburst' years and when they also have low moonlight. HOW FAST ARE THEY MOVING? A typical meteoroid from the Perseids is traveling at more than 133,000 miles per hour when it hits the planet's atmosphere. Most of them are extremely small and are quickly destroyed. In rare situations, meteor fragments will make it to the ground. That's when the term changes from meteor to meteorite. The speed combined with the friction of the atmosphere drastically heats up the meteors. NASA estimates they reach upwards of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit while traversing Earth's atmosphere. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO SEE THE PERSEIDS? Stargazing experts recommend going to the darkest possible location — dark sky parks are a great bet — and take 30 minutes or so to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. The meteor shower typically starts around 11 p.m. and continues until dawn. The can be found in the northeast horizon and is somewhat shaped like a stick figure with a pointed head. It's usually easier to find — a brighter constellation shaped like a W. Perseus and the origin point for the Perseids will be slightly below. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Perseid meteor shower starts tonight: Here's where, when to watch fireballs across the sky
The Perseids meteor shower will kick off Thursday night with shooting stars and zooming fireballs expected to light up the sky through August. Here's when it peaks and where to watch. The Perseids meteor shower is just one of three active meteor showers in the month of July 2025 — and the most popular — as they peak during the warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The meteor showers are particles released from the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system and its called Perseids because the area of the sky where the meteors originate is located near the constellation of Perseus. The Perseids are active from July 17 through Aug. 23, while the Alpha Capricornids kicked off on July 12 and the Southern delta Aquariids will become active on July 18. Here's what to know about all the July meteor showers, when they peak, where to get the best views and what are the moon phases. When is the Perseid meteor shower? The Perseid meteor shower of July 2025 is active from July 17 through Aug. 23 and will peak on the night of Aug 12-13. This will be very close to the August full moon — Aug. 9. According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseids potential can reach 50-75 shooting meteors per hour for stargazers and they will be best viewed after midnight. Note that they can appear from any direction. When is the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower? The Alpha Capricornids are active from July 12 through August 12 and will peak on the night of July 29-30 and can be seen from both sides of the equator. While the Alpha Capricornids do not produce many shower meteors per hour, it is known for its number of very bright fireballs, described as 'vivid' and 'brilliant bursts' by Forbes. When are the Southern delta Aquariids? The Delta Aquariids are a strong meteor shower that kick off on July 18 through Aug. 12 and they will peak on the night of July 29-30. They aren't known for being the brightest, but they do produce between 10-20 meteors per hour near their peak. No equipment is needed to watch the meteor showers, just patience and preferably a dark sky. What are the moon phases for July 2025? 🌓 First Quarter: July 2. 🌕 Full Moon: July 10. 🌗 Last Quarter: July 18. 🌑 New Moon: July 24. 🌓 First Quarter: Aug. 1 When is the next full moon? The August full moon, known as the sturgeon moon, will be visible on Aug. 9, 2025. This article originally appeared on When's the next meteor shower? Where can you see Perseid meteor shower Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
One of 2025's Best Meteor Showers Is Upon Us: Here's How to Watch
One of the best meteor showers of the year is almost here! The Perseids peak in mid-August, and should put on a decent show. The Perseids meteor shower arrives every year between July and September, as Earth swings into the debris trail of the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. It's one of the most popular events on the skywatching calendar, thanks to the frequency of meteors visible and their tendency to burn brighter and longer than those in many other showers. The fact that it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, where they're most visible, probably helps draw crowds beneath the cool night sky. In dark conditions, Perseids can appear to be particularly prolific, with 50 to 75 visible meteors per hour at their peak. And they're quick, zipping by at up to 59 kilometers (37 miles) per second. Related: This year, the shower will be visible from July 17 to August 23, peaking in the early hours of August 13. Sadly, the Moon is being a bit of a glory hog this time around, being 84 percent full on the peak night. That extra light will wash out the fainter meteors, leaving only the brightest to shine through and reducing the visible activity to about 25 meteors per hour. Even so, it's well worth the effort. Not only is that still more meteors than some other showers, but they'll be only the best and brightest the Perseids have to offer. For best results, get yourself out to a nice, dark spot away from city lights in the hours before dawn. Look to the northeast, towards the constellation of Perseus – the shower's namesake – which is where the meteors will appear to be radiating from. Avoid using your phone, to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark. Then, bust out the popcorn. If you miss the Perseids, don't worry. There are still plenty of other meteor showers to see out the year. Related News Meteorite Discovery Could Fill Billion Year Gap in Moon History Birth of a Solar System Witnessed in Spectacular Scientific First Record-Sized Collision Between Black Holes Detected by Astronomers Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Science
- News.com.au
What Australian sky watchers can expect as the Perseids return for 2025
One of the most famous and active celestial events of the year will begin streaking across the Australian night sky from Thursday, but sky watchers may find this year's display underwhelming with a near-full moon expected to outshine the fainter meteors. Dubbed 'the best meteor shower of the year' by experts, the Perseids are one of the busiest showers with about 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour, according to NASA. The event produces fast, bright streaks and occasional fireballs, larger bursts of light caused by bigger chunks of space debris burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The meteors come from debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1992 and is almost twice the size of the asteroid believed to have wiped the dinosaurs from Earth. As Earth moves through this trail of dust and rock each year, the particles slam into our atmosphere at high speeds, creating the familiar flashes of light in the night sky. NASA says the Perseids are best viewed in the pre-dawn hours, when the sky is darkest and the shower's radiant point, the constellation Perseus, is higher above the horizon, but they can sometimes be seen from about 10pm. But there's a catch for Aussie viewers: The best views are in the Northern Hemisphere. Only those in the far north of Australia may catch a glimpse of the brighter meteors, and even then, the brightness of the moon will reduce visibility significantly. Those in southern Australia will likely miss out altogether. The shower runs from July 17 to August 23, with peak activity expected about August 12.
CNET
6 days ago
- Science
- CNET
The Perseids Meteor Shower Brings Bright Fireballs to the Skies, Starting This Week
Skygazers have a lot to look forward to over the next month. A couple of dueling meteor showers are gracing the skies later in July, and they will be joined by perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. Perseids are known for their bright fireballs and plentiful meteors. The show starts on July 17 and will run through Aug. 23. The reason the Perseids meteor shower is so popular is twofold. First, it takes place in the summer, so going outside and watching it is less uncomfortable than other large meteor showers like Quadrantids, which takes place in wintery January. The other reason is that it's one of the most active meteor showers of the year. During its peak, the meteor shower is known to spit as many as 100 meteors on average, according to the American Meteor Society. These not only include your typical shooting stars, but also a higher chance for fireballs, which are meteors that explode as they enter orbit. Per NASA, fireballs tend to last longer than standard shooting stars and can come in a variety of different colors. Perseids come to Earth courtesy of the 109P/Swift-Tuttle comet. Earth's orbit around the sun brings it through Swift-Tuttle's tail every year. The comet itself takes 133 years to orbit the sun. Its last perihelion -- the point at which it's the closest to the sun -- was in 1992. It won't be back until the year 2125. Until then, it leaves behind an excellent tail of dust and debris to feed us yearly meteor showers. How to watch the Perseids meteor shower The best time to view the Perseids is during its peak, which occurs on the evenings of Aug. 12 and 13. During this time, the shower will produce anywhere from 25 to 100 meteors per hour on average. However, since the shower officially lasts for over a month, you have a chance to see a shooting star on any given evening, provided that you are far enough away from light pollution. Thus, if you're planning on watching this year's Perseids during their peak, you'll want to get out of the city and suburbs as much as possible. According to Bill Cooke, lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office, folks in the city might see one or two meteors from the meteor shower per hour, which is pocket change compared to what folks outside city limits might see. Regardless, once you've arrived at wherever you want to watch the meteors, you'll want to direct your attention to the radiant, or the point at which the meteors will appear to originate. Like all meteors, Perseids are named after the constellation from which they appear. In this case, it's Perseus. Per Stellarium's free sky map, Perseus will rise from the northeastern horizon across the continental US on the evenings of Aug. 12 and 13. It'll then rise into the eastern sky, where it'll remain until after sunrise. So, in short, point yourself due east and you should be OK. Binoculars may help, but we recommend against telescopes since they'll restrict your view of the sky to a very small portion, which may hinder your meteor-sighting efforts. The American Meteor Society also notes that the moon may give viewers some difficulty. Perseids' peak occurs just three days after August's full moon, so the moon will still be mostly full. Thus, it is highly probable that light pollution from the moon may reduce the number of visible meteors by a hefty margin, depending on how things go.
