There’s a reason the Perseid meteor shower is considered to be the best of the year.
With its whizzing meteors and blazing fireballs, the celestial phenomena reliably puts on a spectacle every year for skygazers around the world. Yet perhaps the best part of the Perseids is that they peak not in the colder months like the Leonids of November or Geminids of December, but in the warm summertime.
And in 2024, that peak happens to be on track to occur this weekend.
Spectators who step outside at just the right time may be treated to the sight of up to 100 meteors streaking across the night sky per hour, leaving long wakes of light and color behind them. Even better, in a stroke of luck, this year’s Perseids peak just happens to coincide with a potential appearance of the famed aurora borealis, or northern lights.
Here’s what to know about the Perseid meteor shower and how you can see its peak this weekend.
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When does the Perseid meteor shower peak?
While the Perseids are active this year from July 14 to Sept. 1, the meteors are expected to reach a peak in activity Sunday and Monday, according to the American Meteor Society.
Lunar conditions from year to year have a strong influence on just how strong each Perseids display is during the annual peak. For instance, if a bright moon is above the horizon during the night of maximum activity, then the relatively faint Perseids meteors will be reduced and thus, difficult to view, the American Meteor Society says.
However, as long as skies are relatively clear this year, a half-illuminated moon should set by around 11:30 p.m. local time, making conditions favorable for viewing the Perseids, according to NASA. The meteor activity will then pick up from there and last until around dawn.
How can you watch the Perseids?
The Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere.
Once the moon sets, spectators should only have to contend with local light pollution and clouds that could interfere with the number of meteors they can see.
What causes the Perseids meteors?
Originating from the constellation Perseus, the Perseids are made up of leftover particles from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
Every year, Earth passes through the comet’s debris trail, resulting in the Perseid meteor shower when the broken bits of Swift-Tuttle collide with our atmosphere at high speed – disintegrating and creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.
Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 Earth years just to orbit the sun a single time, was discovered to be the source of the Perseids in 1865 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. Discovered in 1862, Swift-Tuttle is absolutely gargantuan – twice the size of the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Though their Geminids counterpart are considered to be one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers, the Perseids still result in anywhere from 50 to 100 meteors visible per hour under the right conditions.
The meteor shower is also famous for the fireballs it throws out. These large explosions of light and color can persist even longer than an average meteor streak, NASA says.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Perseids to peak this weekend: How to see best meteor shower of year
