The annual Perseid meteor shower is set to peak before dawn Thursday, bringing stargazers their best chance to see more than 40 meteors per hour streak across the skies of the Northern Hemisphere.
Although NASA’s meteor tracking cameras spotted the first Perseid of the year on July 26, the optimum viewing window extends from Wednesday evening through dawn Thursday, aided by a crescent moon - only four days removed from being new - slated to set early.
“The night of Aug. 12-13 will be another great opportunity to see the Perseids: with a full Moon (and lower meteor activity) during the Perseids’ peak in 2022 and a waning crescent high in the sky for 2023, this might be your best chance to do some summer skywatching for a few years,” NASA wrote on its “Watch the Skies” blog.
It's meteor-watching time! ☄️
— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) August 2, 2021
The Perseids are already in the night sky, but August 11 and 12 will be your best nights for skywatching. Here's how you can see them—no matter where on Earth you are >> https://t.co/SvQB0c4SHm pic.twitter.com/S6jwl71LwE
According to EarthSky magazine, the best time for meteor-viewing will be in the early morning hours of Aug. 11, 12 and 13, after the constellation Perseus - near Aries and Taurus - rises, but night owls are advised to look skyward anytime after 10 p.m. local time those three nights for optimal viewing.
>> Related: Perseid meteor shower 2020: 10 stunning photos of nature’s light show
The Perseids are caused by debris from the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which takes about 130 years to orbit the sun, and are known for leaving streaks of light and color - and the occasional long, bright fireball - in their wakes, Live Science reported.
Meanwhile, meteorologist and amateur astronomer Joe Rao told Space.com that most pieces of debris that create Perseid meteors are the size of sand grains, with fireball-producing fragments no bigger than a marble.
NASA advises aspiring meteor watchers to find a comfortable spot, avoiding as much light as possible, and to give their eyes up to half an hour to adjust to the darkness for optimal viewing.
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