As for Meteor Shower, Perseid pops. It’s not only about the amount of meteors (100 per hour) and their flashy quality (fireballs!), but also about excellent timing.
The annual shower peaks on a warm, relaxed August night as Earth crosses the path with the crushing clouds left by the comet of Swift-Tuttle, with its 133-year swing that passes past our planet. Watching the shower can be a wonderful experience as meteors pass by in summer heaven and leave behind light and colour behind.
I was so moved after writing “Rocky Mountain High” on a camping trip in 27-year-old John Denver and the Colorado Pines, seeing the rain fire of Perseids in the sky.
That said, there is a warning this year.
The meteor shower is set to peak on the evening of August 11th and 12th, according to Ed Krupp, director of Griffith Observatory in LA. According to NASA, the best viewing times are in sudden times. However, the moon is in the way.
“The declining Gibbsmoon will significantly compromise on this shower during its greatest activity,” the American Meteor Society states.
As the shower peaks, the moon is almost empty at 92% and mostly empty in the sky, Krupp said.
“In the lustrous meteors are lost in the luster of the moon,” he told The Times. “In its best condition, the Perseid Shower delivers between 50 and 100 meteors per hour, but this year it’s far less.”
Stargazers can cross fingers for more fireballs, a phenomenon known to persade showers, according to NASA.
“Fireballs are bigger explosions of light and color that can last longer than the average meteor stripe,” says NASA. “This is due to the fact that the fireballs come from larger particles in the comet’s material.”
Krupp advises that despite the declining visibility this year, those who are “committed to Perseid” should “go somewhere out of the city centre and away from the scattered glare of artificial lighting.”
Experts advise booking campsites in Joshua Tree, the Mojave Desert and Anza Borrego Desert State Park. There are several other good spots too.
Once there, aim for a vast landscape, as Perseid appears to be emitted from the northern constellation Perseius, but could appear in The The Times in 2024.
Good news for 2026: Perseid Meteor Shower predictions are great. The moon is dark and, as reported by the NPR, an unusually large number of meteors are expected to pass through the night sky.
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