Perseids are popular when it comes to shooting stars. Not only does this involve the number of meteors (up to 100 per hour) and their gorgeous qualities (fireballs!), but also their excellent timing.
The annual shower peaks on warm, leisurely August nights, Earth crosses the path, and the cloud of dust left by Comet Swift-Tuttle passes our planet every 133 years. With the experience of shooting stars in summer paradise, passing through the summer sky can be a great experience, leaving behind light and color.
John Denver, 27, was moved after seeing Perseids Rain Fire in the Sky during a camping trip in Colorado Pines.
That said, there is a warning this year.
Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, said the shooting shower will peak from August 11 to 12. NASA says the best viewing time is before dawn time. But the moon will hinder it.
“The wake-up eldest son moon will seriously damage this shower at maximum activity,” the American Meteor Association noted.
With the peak of the shower, the moon will be about 92% of the time, Krup said.
“Meteors will be lost in the light of the moon,” he told the Times. “In the best case, Perseid showers provide 50 to 100 meteors per hour, but this year will be much less.”
According to NASA, stargazing can use your fingers to reach out to get more fireballs, a phenomenon that Perseid Shower is famous for.
“Fireballs are the explosion of light and color that last longer than ordinary meteor stripes,” NASA said. “This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger comet materials.”
Krupp suggested that despite the reduced visibility this year, those who “dedicate to Perseids” should “get away from any city center and away from the spread glare of artificial lighting.”
Experts recommend booking camps in Joshua Tree, Mojave Desert and Anza-Brego Desert State Park. There are many other good places.
Once there, aim for a wide field of view, because while Perseid appears to radiate from the northern mountains, they can appear anywhere, NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke told The Times in 2024.
Good news for 2026: Perseid Meteor shower predictions are very good. The moon will be dark, as NPR reports, a meteor anomaly expected to flash in the night sky.
