The spectacular peak of the Perseid meteor shower is still a few nights away, but it’s already a great time to get out and look for dazzling streaks of light from what’s regarded as the year’s best meteor shower. And by “already,” we mean right now.
The much-anticipated meteor shower will peak the night of Monday, August 12, into the morning of Tuesday, August 13, Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office tells Thrillist. However, Earth swings through the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to August 24, which means there are plenty of chances to see meteors from the Perseids. (That include plenty of chances to head to a Perseids viewing party.) Moreover, the night of the peak features a waxing gibbous moon that will wash out many of the display’s fainter meteors. So, looking to the night sky in the days before the peak actually has some advantages. The number of meteors per hour will certainly be lower than at peak, but you should be able to see more of the meteors that are present.
The Perseid #MeteorShower peaks on Monday night, but you can catch some this weekend, too.
Latest cloud forecast and viewing tips for the #Perseids: https://t.co/fSKZ8nGygj pic.twitter.com/hzP2BkVgci
— AccuWeatherAstronomy (@AccuAstronomy) August 10, 2019
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