Perseids
Also called: August meteors
The most popular meteor shower of the year, with warm nights, plentiful meteors, and many bright fireballs.
- Type
- Meteor Showers
- Best season
- Summer
- Gear
- Naked eye
- When to look
- Peak around August 12–13; active from mid-July to late August
- Typical rate
- Up to about 100 an hour under ideal conditions, with fewer in practice
- Source
- Comet Swift–Tuttle
- Radiant
- In Perseus, in the northeast sky
- Best for
- Northern observers, after midnight
What you will see
- Fast, bright meteors, many with lingering trails.
- Frequent fireballs.
- Meteors in all parts of the sky, radiating from the northeast.
How to watch
- Get away from city lights to a dark site with a wide view of the sky, and lie back in a reclining chair or on a pad.
- Let your eyes adapt to the dark for 20 to 30 minutes and keep white light and phone screens off.
- Look at the whole sky rather than staring at one spot, since meteors can appear anywhere.
- Pick a night near the peak with little moonlight, if you can.
- Bring bug spray and a blanket, since the nights are warm.
- Plan to stay for an hour or more.
Constellations to know
Field notes
The Perseids are a good first shower for beginners. They fall in warm weather, they are reliable year after year, and they are rich in bright meteors.
The rates build over several nights, so a cloudy peak night does not have to ruin the shower.
Related guides
Dates and times repeat from year to year but shift slightly, and the Moon's phase and the planets' positions are different every year. Check a current source such as NASA, the American Meteor Society, or a stargazing app before you plan a night out, and check the weather forecast for clear skies.