Every year from mid-July to late August, a certain summer shower pours around the world, captivating people’s attention. However, this shower isn’t characterized by the usual warm rain and late summer afternoons you might be thinking of, but rather by hundreds of streaks of white in the night sky. The Perseids are one of the greatest meteor showers that people worldwide look forward to every year.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseids are particles of dust and ice that have broken off of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which completes an orbit around the Sun every 133 years. The Perseids appear to come from the constellation Perseus, which is where the name Perseids comes from. Look northeast to find the constellation. The meteors do not originate from the constellation, but simply appear to come from the same region.
While the Perseids are visible for the majority of Summer, best viewing occurs on August 12th and 13th as stated by NASA. They are seen best during pre-dawn hours (from 2–4 a.m.), but are visible as early as 10 p.m.. As long as the sky is dark, you have a chance of seeing the meteor shower. Obviously, best viewing comes with a clear and unobstructed sky, so if it isn’t cloudy, consider finding an area with a wide horizon and lots of visibility. The less light pollution from objects like street lamps and buildings, the more visible fainter meteors will be. The American Meteor Society reports being able to expect anywhere from 50 to 75 meteors every hour at peak times in rural areas with low light pollution.
Unfortunately, during this year’s peak times to view the meteor shower, the moon will cause a few issues. Being in the waning gibbous phase, the moon is around 84% full. This amount of brightness will cause a lot of the fainter meteors to be drowned out in the night sky, leading to difficulties in viewing the Perseids. Nevertheless, facing away from the moon to minimize glare should help in being able to experience the meteor shower. This shower is visible with just your eyes, so no telescopes or other technology is needed to enjoy the Perseids. With the warm weather these next few days, don’t miss the peak of the Perseids!
“Meteor Shower Abandoned School 7668 A (Explored)” by Jim Choate, CC BY-NC 2.0
“The constellation Perseus (labelled) as seen with the naked eye” by Till Credner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Perseids – NASA Science.” NASA, NASA, 3 Apr. 2025, science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/perseids/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
“Perseids.” American Meteor Society, American Meteor Society, www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/#Perseids. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.