Keep your eyes to the skies: The annual Perseid meteor shower has begun, and it will continue to ramp up in intensity over the next several weeks.
Caused by the Earth passing through the debris trail of the comet Swift-Tuttle, this summer meteor shower is known for producing as many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour under clear skies, according to NASA.
Many Perseid meteors feature colorful, lingering tails that create streaks of light across the sky. This shower can also sometimes produce fireballs: exceptionally bright meteors that can be witnessed over a very wide area. When combined with summer’s balmy nights, the Perseids have become a beloved stargazing highlight in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Perseids kicked off July 14 this year and will run through September 1, peaking overnight on the night of August 12 into the wee hours of August 13. The meteor sightings should gradually increase from now until that peak night, after which they quickly drop off, according to the astronomy website EarthSky.
As a bonus, this year’s Perseids peak will fall just a few days before the new moon on August 16. New moons create great conditions for nighttime skywatching because they allow the darkest skies possible; that makes for an extra robust meteor shower experience, as even faint meteors won’t be washed out by moonlight.
While it’s possible to view this meteor shower as early as 10 p.m., experts say the Perseids grow more plentiful as the night goes on, and are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours — so for peak viewing, plan to stay up late or set an alarm.
Watching a meteor shower doesn’t require special equipment like binoculars or telescopes, but the experience is better when seen under the darkest skies possible, away from bright urban environments. Rural areas, especially in Michigan’s northern Lower and Upper Peninsula, offer the best viewing, along with our dark sky parks and preserves.
A few meteor shower tips: Dress for the weather and choose a viewing location under a large expanse of sky, such as along a lakeshore or in a designated viewing area at a dark sky park. Bring a blanket or a reclining camp chair, which will allow you to lean back and take in as much sky as possible. And perhaps most importantly, be patient: It takes about 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust to the darkness.
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