This year the Perseids peak close to new Moon, which promises excellent viewing conditions.
The Perseids are one of the best meteor showers of the year. Every August, Earth passes through the trail of dust left behind by comet Swift–Tuttle. The tiny particles burn up in the atmosphere and we see them as shooting stars.
Why 2026 is special
The shower peaks in the night of 12–13 August, close to new Moon. Without moonlight, even fainter meteors will be visible from a dark site.
How to watch
- Find a dark place away from city lights.
- Lie down and look at a large part of the sky, not only towards the constellation Perseus.
- Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark.
- The best time is after midnight, when the radiant is high in the sky.
No telescope or binoculars are needed. More tips can be found in our Night Sky Guide.
Image: The planet, the galaxy and the laser. Credit: ESO/Y. Beletsky. Source, CC BY 4.0.
Comments
Already planning a trip to the mountains. Fingers crossed for clear weather!
Fun fact: the dust particles are mostly smaller than a grain of sand.
In reply to by comet_leo
And they hit the atmosphere at about 59 km per second. That is why such tiny grains produce so much light.
Will the meteors be visible from a city?
In reply to by Petr (not verified)
Only the brightest ones. If you can, travel at least a few dozen kilometres away from city lights.
In reply to by newsdesk
Thanks, we will try a field outside the city.
Counted 43 meteors in one hour last year. Let us see if I can beat it.
Bring a warm blanket. August nights can be surprisingly cold.
Any tips for photographing meteors?
In reply to by nebula_ivo
A camera on a tripod with a wide-angle lens, ISO 1600–3200, exposures of 15–25 seconds, and an intervalometer taking pictures all night.
Then just be patient and go through the photos in the morning.