All articles tagged with #perseid
A bright fireball lit up the Pacific Northwest in the early hours of Friday during the Perseid meteor shower, seen across WA, OR, ID and British Columbia; witnesses reported orange/green streaks and a brief flash, with no ground impact as the meteor likely broke apart high in the atmosphere.
A nationwide photo gallery shows Britons watching a total solar eclipse as the Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky, with scenes from Stonehenge to Greenwich; safety advice urged ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, and searches for 'sore eyes' spiked by about 650% afterward.
The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight with up to about 100 meteors per hour under dark skies, especially since the peak coincides with the new moon. Best viewing starts around 11 p.m. local time and continues into the predawn hours, with meteors radiating from the Perseus constellation as Earth passes through debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle; if you miss the peak, the shower remains active through Aug. 24 and is ideal for naked-eye stargazing.
The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak Thursday, around 10:53 a.m. ET, offering the best viewing from the Northern Hemisphere. The darkness from a rare total solar eclipse along parts of the path will enhance visibility for skywatchers. Rural observers may see 30–50 meteors per hour, urban observers 15–25 (with occasional years reaching ~90). The debris originates from comet Swift‑Tuttle, and the event will occur with little to no moonlight. Other showers (Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricorniids) remain active, and a slate of future meteor showers is listed.
In Oregon, the Perseid meteor shower peaks Aug. 12–13 with 50–100 meteors per hour and bright fireballs; a new moon will yield darker skies. OMSI is hosting watch parties at Stub Stewart and Rooster Rock State Parks, and NASA will stream a live watch on YouTube at 9 p.m. PDT. For best viewing, seek dark skies away from city lights, lie back, and look northeast toward Perseus, with peak observing around midnight to 4 a.m. but meteors can appear outside those hours depending on conditions.
On Aug. 12, 2026, skywatchers across North America and Europe can enjoy a daytime solar eclipse, followed by Venus at dichotomy after sunset and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower under moonless skies, with the Milky Way visible later in the night. The event offers a rare 24-hour sequence (partial to total eclipse in parts of the world; bright Venus after sunset; up to 50–75 meteors per hour under dark skies), plus region-by-region viewing notes (e.g., Alaska and the Northeast for eclipse timing; London and Paris near-total). Observers are urged to use ISO-certified solar glasses and proper filters for optics, with the best meteor viewing around midnight–2 a.m. local time. It could be one of the year's premier skywatching opportunities.
Space.com highlights 10 spots across Canada and the U.S.—from Gros Morne in Newfoundland to Assateague Island—where you can see the August 12, 2026 partial solar eclipse (with varying maximums by location) and then watch the Perseid meteor shower after nightfall. The piece provides location-by-location details (max eclipse %, sun angle, eclipse window), dark-sky ratings, typical cloud cover, and practical tips for camping, safety (solar viewing must use proper protection), and planning an overnight road trip to maximize clear, dark skies. It also notes coastal weather caveats and advises booking campsites early due to peak viewing crowds.
Active now, the 2026 Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight Aug. 12–13 under a new Moon, with up to about 100 meteors per hour at maximum as Earth crosses the debris stream from comet Swift‑Tuttle. To spot them, locate the radiant near Eta Persei in Perseus, look about 40 degrees above it, and give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt after dark. The best viewing is in the predawn hours away from city lights, and bright fireballs are possible. For photography tips, Space.com also offers a guide on capturing Perseids.
A bright blue fireball meteor was captured over Japan's Kyushu and Shikoku regions, lighting up the sky briefly before vanishing, during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, which is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
This weekend in Seattle, skywatchers can enjoy a rare alignment of six planets visible in the eastern sky before sunrise, along with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, offering a spectacular celestial display with clear skies expected to enhance viewing conditions.
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the year's best celestial events, is visible from Oregon's dark sky locations, with peak viewing between August 9-13, despite moonlight interference. The event offers a great opportunity for stargazers to see bright meteors and fireballs, especially in areas with minimal light pollution, such as Oregon's Dark Sky Places.
NASA photographer Bill Ingalls captured a stunning image of a meteor over West Virginia during the overlapping Perseid and Alpha Capricornid meteor showers on August 3, 2025, highlighting the beauty of night sky events and the importance of remote viewing locations.
The Perseid meteor shower, active since July 17 and peaking around August 12-13, offers spectacular views of shooting stars and large fireballs, especially in the pre-dawn hours, with NASA highlighting its brightness and colorful explosions caused by larger particles from cometary debris.
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the brightest of the year, peaks between August 12-13, offering a spectacular display of shooting stars, though a near-full Moon may hinder visibility. To maximize viewing, find dark, shadowed locations away from light pollution and watch between midnight and pre-dawn. The shower is most visible in the northern hemisphere and remains active through August, with the Geminids following in December.
This week marks the peak of three meteor showers, including the famous Perseids, with the best viewing conditions occurring around 3 a.m. in North America, especially in southern regions. The Perseids will be less intense in 2025 due to the full moon, but other showers like the Piscis Austrinids, Southern delta Aquariids, and alpha Capricornids offer good opportunities for stargazing. The next major shower after Perseids will be the Orionids in October.