The Perseid meteor shower will be visible through Monday, Aug. 24, according to the American Meteor Society.
Peak viewing will be overnight from Wednesday night, Aug. 12, into Thursday morning, Aug. 13. Activity began on Friday, July 17.
This year’s timing could hardly be better. The peak will coincide with a new moon, eliminating lunar glare that might otherwise wash out faint meteors.
The moon will be zero percent full during the peak, the American Meteor Society said.
NASA considers the Perseids the best meteor shower of the year. The display can produce 50 to 100 meteors per hour under favorable dark skies.
The shower is also known for fireballs. Those larger explosions of light and color are brighter and can remain visible longer than an average meteor streak.
Normal peak rates from rural locations range from 30 to 50 Perseids per hour, according to the American Meteor Society. Clouds, artificial light, and viewing location can sharply reduce actual totals.
The best viewing generally comes after midnight and before dawn. Some meteors may become visible as early as 10 p.m.
EarthSky says the radiant, or point from which the meteors appear to emerge, rises late in the evening and is highest around dawn.
Viewers do not need to stare directly toward Perseus. Meteors can streak across any part of the sky.
No telescope or binoculars are needed. Stargazers should find a dark area away from streetlights, lie back, and take in as much open sky as possible.
Eyes need about 30 minutes to adjust to darkness. Phones and other bright screens can disrupt night vision.
The Perseids form when Earth crosses debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The particles enter the atmosphere at about 37 miles per second and disintegrate, producing glowing trails.
Swift-Tuttle completes an orbit around the Sun every 133 years, according to NASA.
An earlier Daily Voice report includes additional details about the shower and its lunar timing.
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