The Perseids have a reputation as the “best meteor shower of the year,” according to NASA. This annual light show is prolific, with bright meteors falling all over the sky and occasionally a fireball or two—or sometimes dozens.
And this year, the peak of the Perseids may be even more impressive: it just so happens that the meteor shower’s busiest days fall on the same date as a total solar eclipse.
Meteor showers occur when the Earth’s orbit crosses paths with a trail of dust and debris left behind by an asteroid or comet. In the case of the Perseids, the cosmic debris comes from an unusually large comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) across. That’s why this meteor shower happens annually—it passes through the debris stream every trip Earth makes around the sun.
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The Perseids fall from mid-July through to late August. This year's peak—the period with the most meteors—is expected to fall on August 12 and August 13. On those days, skygazers can expect to see between 30 and 50 meteors an hour or more. August 12 is also the date of a total solar eclipse—an event that happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, leaving a swath of Earth in darkness for a few brief minutes. For those in the path of totality, the region where the moon will completely block out the sun’s light, you may catch a glimpse of the Perseids for the approximately two minutes you’ll be in the moon’s shadow. That includes parts of Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Russia and Spain.
This year, you can see the Perseids in the night’s sky anytime between July 17 and August 24, according to the American Meteor Society. If you’re not in the solar eclipse path, the greatest visibility tends to be in the pre-dawn hours. For the best viewing, try to get to a safe, dark outdoor place away from city lights on a day without cloud cover or a bright moon. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to acclimatize to the dark, and look up!
