Perseid meteor shower: what it is and how to watch

Tit is the best time to watch what many call the best meteor shower of the year is coming.

The Perseid meteor shower has already begun, but the peak time to observe it in the U.S. is the night of August 11-12, says Alex Filippenko, distinguished professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. That’s when stargazers will be able to see the most meteors.

“It’s a fun event,” says Filippenko. “I encourage (people) to watch because they are more likely to see meteors than on a random night.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the Perseid meteor shower and how to observe it.

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

Meteors are mostly small pieces of rock that travel quickly through Earth’s atmosphere and burn up because of friction, causing streaks in the sky that are commonly known as “shooting stars” or “shooting stars,” says Filippenko. On any given night, people may see a few meteors every hour. But during a meteor shower, people can see much more.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs at the same time every year, when Earth passes through the debris of a comet called Swift-Tuttle. Whenever a comet revolves around the Sun, it partially disintegrates, leaving behind debris. As Earth passes through the debris left over from comet Swift-Tuttle, pieces of that debris enter the planet’s atmosphere, creating this meteor shower. (But don’t worry — these meteors usually don’t land on Earth because the debris burns up in the atmosphere, says Filippenko: “There’s no danger during a meteor shower.”)

See more information: What We Miss When We Can’t Stargaze

The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best of the year because it is one of the most abundant showers — typically, people can see about 20 to 30 meteors per hour, which works out to one meteor every 2 to 3 minutes, says Filippenko. In completely perfect conditions, people can see more than 100 meteors per hour, but this is “highly unusual,” he adds.

Why is it called ‘Perseid’?

The event is named after the constellation Perseus because these meteors appear to come from the direction of the sky where the constellation is located. But the meteors don’t come from the constellation – those stars are light years away, while the meteors we see during the event are in our own solar system.

When is it going to happen?

The Perseid meteor shower typically begins in mid-July, but is barely noticeable then. The peak occurs when Earth passes through the main clump of debris. This year, experts predict it will happen at 10 a.m. ET on August 12 — during the day, when people won’t be able to see the meteors. But viewers will still be able to see several meteors after midnight in any time zone in the US on August 11-12, Filippenko says, with 3-4 a.m. probably the best time. Even if people choose to watch it after midnight on August 12-13, they will likely still see meteors.

“The rain still has a very good rate, even far from the peak,” says Filippenko. “It turns out that to optimize their chances of success, people should look as close to the peak as possible, other than during the day or at twilight.”

How can you watch?

The best way to observe the meteor shower is with your eyes — no need for a telescope or binoculars, says Filippenko. It helps to look at a very dark sky, so get away from the city lights by going to the suburbs or the countryside and look at the sky after midnight.

You can look anywhere in the sky to spot meteors (looking away from the Moon is best), but depending on where you’re looking, you might see different types of streaks. Filippenko says it can be helpful — and fun — to watch the swim in a group so each person can keep an eye on a different part of the sky.

“In general, views to the northeast – that is, towards Perseus for most of the night – will provide a greater number of tracks, but they will be shorter,” says Filippenko. “If you look elsewhere in the sky, you might see fewer streaks, fewer meteors, but they will be longer.”

It is important to allow enough time to allow your eyes to adapt to the dark. It usually takes about 15 minutes and be sure to turn off your flashlights and avoid bright lights. Filippenko recommends spending at least half an hour outdoors to watch the event. He also warns people not to expect to see meteors “raining on them” – the word “rain” is misleading. “You just need to have a little patience,” says Filippenko.