The annual Perseid meteor shower may have peaked overnight on Monday and Tuesday, but it did so in a night sky bleached by strong moonlight that blotted out many of the fainter “shooting stars.” Although the peak rate of meteors has since reduced, a darker sky this weekend may mean lingering Perseids are visible at night.
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the highlights of the stargazing calendar, can produce up to 75 “shooting stars” per hour in a dark, moonless night sky.
The 84%-lit waning gibbous moon, which lessened the Perseids’ impact on Monday night, will have reduced in brightness by the weekend and will rise around midnight, creating a window of moonless darkness beforehand.
The radiant point of the Perseids is the constellation Perseus, which, from the Northern Hemisphere, rises in the northeast as the sky darkens during August. However, “shooting stars” can be seen anywhere in the night sky.
The Perseid meteor shower is caused by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun and hasn't been in the inner solar system since 1992. At 16 miles (26 kilometers) across, it’s bigger than the object that killed the dinosaurs, according to NASA.
The best advice for viewing the most meteor showers is to escape from light pollution by using a light pollution map or by heading to a certified Dark Sky Place — be sure to check the weather forecast for a clear sky. According to NASA, the best way to observe a meteor shower is to find a location with a clear view of the night sky. Have warm layers, bug spray, snacks, drinks, and plenty of patience. Don’t look at a smartphone — its light will remove your night vision for at least 20 minutes.
If you’re outside after dark looking for Perseids on Friday, Aug. 15 and Saturday, Aug. 16, watch for the moon to rise in the east. It will be positioned very close to the Pleiades, also known as M45, one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky. An open cluster of stars about 445 light-years from the solar system, the Pleiades looks fabulous with the naked eye. However, using binoculars reveals many more stars arranged in a shape that resembles a mini Big Dipper.
If you stay up into the early hours this weekend, you’ll see the best of the “planet parade” currently in the news. Jupiter and Venus are easily visible, rising in the east, while Saturn is located in the south. Just before the light of dawn begins to overwhelm the planets, a fourth will appear due east — Mercury. Although it’s been technically in the night sky for a few days, it’s this weekend when it becomes easiest to see, though only for a few mornings before it’s once again lost in the sun’s glare.