The Perseids meteor shower peaks Sunday night through Monday morning. It’s best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere just before dawn, The New York Times reports.
Perseids (Muhammad Elarbi via Flickr Creative Commons)The Perseids meteor shower is one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. It is known for producing a high number of bright meteors. The shower is named after the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to originate, known as the “radiant” point.
The Perseids typically peak around mid-August each year, with the peak night usually offering the most visible meteors per hour. During the peak, you might see between 50 to 100 meteors per hour under optimal conditions (dark skies, no moonlight). The meteors in the Perseids shower are remnants of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which leaves behind a trail of debris as it orbits the sun. When Earth passes through this debris, the particles enter our atmosphere and burn up, creating bright streaks in the sky.
The best time to view the Perseids is after midnight and into the pre-dawn hours in August because the radiant point in Perseus is higher in the sky during those hours, and the side of Earth facing into the debris stream is also higher.
Look towards the northeastern part of the sky. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but they will all seem to be coming from the direction of the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeast.
For ideal viewing conditions, find a location away from city lights or any light pollution. If your skies are clear and the moon doesn’t interfere too much this year, you should have good visibility of the meteors. The moon Sunday night is a waxing crescent, with 39% of the disc illuminated, but it will set before midnight, well before the best viewing times for the Perseids.
Be comfortable. Bring a blanket or a reclining chair to look up at the sky without contorting your neck. Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark for optimal viewing. Refrain from using binoculars, and keep your telescope inside for the night, as these will limit your viewing field.
