August is here, and for stargazers that also means the famous Perseid meteor shower. It’s a highly-anticipated shower thanks to the meteors' fast speeds, persistent trains and high frequency. And this year, there’s no full Moon to interfere with proceedings.
The Perseids are a long shower, beginning last month on 17 July, and continuing for five-and-a-half weeks until 24 August. The maximum occurs overnight from Saturday 12 August to Sunday 13 August, but if conditions are cloudy, we’re in with a good chance the night after as well.
During its zenith, meteor numbers could reach to around 100 per hour, although it's advisable to treat these projections with a pinch of salt.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs as Earth passes the trail of dust and debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle (109P/Swift/Tuttle), and at its peak this weekend we’ll be passing through the densest part of this dust trail.
In some Catholic countries, the Perseids are also sometimes called the Tears of Saint Lawrence, as they’re visible on 10 August – the date of his martyrdom – and rather grimly represent sparks from the fire on which he was burnt. Nice.
How to see the Perseid meteor shower
The night of the 12/13 August will be the best opportunity for meteor-spotting. Meteors will be visible as soon as darkness falls, but the sky will be darkest between midnight and the early hours of Sunday morning, so they may appear brighter (and therefore easier to spot) at this time.
A meteor shower radiant is the point in the sky from which meteors appear to originate. The radiant for the Perseids lies in the constellation Perseus, in the north-eastern sky. It’s a circumpolar constellation when seen from the UK, which means it’s always above the horizon, so it’s a nice constellation to try to recognise.
Perseus sits between Cassiopeia above, and the Pleiades below. As the morning approaches, the radiant will rise higher in the sky. For best results, try to take in as much of the skyline as possible into your field of vision.
But don’t worry if vegetation or tall buildings obscure your view of Perseus. Although this may be where the meteors appear to originate, they will be visible over the whole sky. The Perseids are fast – up to 36 miles per second, or 129,600 miles per hour! – so you can expect to see persistent trains in the sky, perhaps even a fireball.
Without the interfering light of a full Moon, conditions are favourable. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on an up-to-date weather forecast to avoid being caught in the rain – which sadly is forecast for parts of the UK.
You won’t need binoculars or a telescope to view this meteor shower. Pick a dark location where you can see as much of the sky as possible, grab a seat (and snacks, of course) and let your eyes adjust for around 20 minutes. A recliner or sun lounge is ideal. Look roughly two-thirds of the way up the sky, and wait. If you have a tally counter to hand, this is a fantastic way to keep track of the number of meteors you spot.
Happy hunting!
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