Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Mid-August with Dark Skies

Astronomers say the annual Perseid meteor shower will begin on July 17 and continue through Aug. 24, with the highest activity expected on the night of Aug. 12-13. The peak coincides with a new moon, providing dark skies that favor observation after midnight and before dawn in the Northern Hemisphere. According to the American Meteor Society, the meteors originate from debris shed by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle as it travels through the inner solar system. Space.com notes that a typical Perseid particle travels at about 133,200 mph when it enters Earth’s atmosphere, where it becomes a meteor; most particles are sand-sized and rarely reach the ground, in which case they are classified as meteorites.

Observers can expect 50 to 100 meteors per hour, often leaving bright trails. The Swift-Tuttle comet, with a nucleus roughly 16 miles across, is the largest known object that repeatedly passes near Earth; its last close approach occurred in 1992 and the next is projected for 2126.

Other minor showers are active this summer. The Southern Delta Aquariids, visible from July 12 to Aug. 23, peak on July 30-31 but will be dimmed by a full moon two days earlier, according to the American Meteor Society. The Alpha Capricornids run from July 3 to Aug. 12, sharing the same peak period and similarly affected by moonlight; the shower typically produces no more than five meteors per hour.

NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office monitors all such debris because even small particles can threaten spacecraft and other orbital assets. The agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center leads research on meteoroid impact frequency and associated risks.