Add some wonder to your August by watching the Perseid meteor shower. Throughout the month, meteors from Comet Swift-Tuttle will shoot across the night sky to dazzle stargazers. Here’s what you need to know about these falling stars and how to see them.
Between August 11 and 13, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak. Don’t go making plans to watch the sky just yet, though. A full moon on August 11 will likely obscure views of the meteors. Still, astronomy enthusiasts can keep an eye out for the Perseids in the days leading up to the full moon. Stay up late or set an alarm for the dark hours before dawn to catch the clearest glimpses of these celestial bodies.
“Sadly, this year’s Perseids peak will see the worst possible circumstances for spotters,” NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said on NASA Blogs. “Most of us in North America would normally see 50 or 60 meteors per hour, but this year, during the normal peak, the full Moon will reduce that to 10-20 per hour at best.”
Avid skywatchers have more than the Perseids to look forward to, though. As the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory shares in the video below, Jupiter and Mars are visible in August’s sky. The Summer Triangle and the constellation Cygnus will also shine brightly for eagle-eyed stargazers.