The 2007 peak of the Perseid meteor shower
A Perseid Meteor amidst the Northern Lights. Photo:
Jimmy Westlake (Colorado Mountain College)
See a larger version of this image.
Friday, August 10, 2007.
The legendary Perseid meteor shower will peak in the next few days.
It’s expected to display the greatest number of meteors Sunday morning (August 12), late Sunday night and Monday morning (August 13) before dawn. But you’ll see some Perseids Saturday (August 11) before dawn, too.
The moon is new on Sunday, or between the Earth and sun. This new moon will leave the night sky dark all this weekend for the Perseid meteors. These meteors are named for the constellation Perseus the Hero. If you trace the paths of the meteors backwards, they seem to stream from this constellation.
You don’t need to identify Perseus to enjoy the meteor shower. The Perseids are an especially rich and dependable meteor shower. They shoot all across the sky – often leaving persistent trains – and occasionally lighting things up with bright fireballs. To watch the show, find a dark, open sky. Get away from city lights, and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. The Perseid shower favors northern hemisphere skywatchers. Again, the best time to watch: Sunday morning, late Sunday night and Monday morning before dawn. At its peak, the Perseids typically produce 60 or more meteors per hour.
Here’s more about the Perseid meteor shower.
Our thanks today to Research Corporation, America’s first foundation for science advancement.
Earth & Sky’s Perseid meteor shower series includes:
Part 1: Sky alert! Perseid meteors peak this weekend
Part 2: Where’s the radiant for the Perseids?
Part 3: Perseid meteors before dawn on August 12
Part 4: Watch these stars, while watching the Perseids
According to folklore, the Perseids commemorate the time when the Greek god Zeus, father of Perseus, visited Danae, Perseus’ mortal mother, in a shower of gold.
Perseid meteors best after midnight and before dawn
Watch meteors like a pro in 2007!
For kids – meteors and meteor showers
Perseus mythology by Richard Dibon–Smith
Hello,
I am interested to know more about this event, where we can view this meteor burst next August 12, 2007.
Will this event can be viewed in Jakarta, Indonesia ? We are located in around 115 degree East Part and 5 degree South Hemisphere.
Thank you
Best Regards,
Sarwo
Sarwo, the Perseid meteor shower is not as well seen fromthe southern hemisphere as from the northern hemisphere, because the “radiant point” for the meteors – in the constellation Perseus – is located fairly far north on the sky’s dome. But you are not very far south. So definitely you should try to view the meteors!
You will need a dark sky location. The Perseids go on for several days … even longer if you are in a place that is really dark. They tend to be better in the days leading up to the shower. Then they fall off rapidly after the shower’s peak.
Good luck!
Deborah
Are these visible from the UK?
I live in London and could drive to Kent if needs be.
Patrick,
Yes, the Perseids will be visible from the UK. In fact, anywhere in the northern hemisphere should be fine for viewing this meteor shower. The important thing is to find a dark sky away from the glare of city lights.
Best of luck!
Bruce
Patrick,
I usually follow the predictions of the Royal Astronomical Scoiety of Canada, and if they are right with the prediction of 5 hours UT on the 13th, the radiant will be quite high overhead for observers in the UK just before dawn. So the meteors will be well placed for you, if at an inconvenient time. Some place clear and dark from maybe 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. should work well if the weather cooperates. Good observing!
Hi my relative sent me the article on the perseid meteor shower. Will we have a chance to see it here in the Philippines?
Hi, Joi. Bruce may want to pipe in here, but I wanted to get an answer out. Yes, you will be able to see some of the Perseids, but by the information I have, the actual peak is at 5 hours Universal, so it will come well after sunrise for you on Monday, August 13. My guess is that your best viewing time will be before dawn on Monday, and perhaps again on Tuesday. In fact, before dawn on Sunday may reveal some Perseids. Just before the light of dawn on any of those days, Perseus will be well up in your northeast sky.
Larry Sessions
hi
is that true that i could actually see the trail of the meteor while it is still burning and illuminating the smoke behind?
Hi,
I have been reading conflicting opinions on the net as to whether this will be visible in New Zealand/Australia? What time are we most likely to see anything – if it is at all visible? Thanks!
Judging from Larry Sessions’ comment, Monday morning (in Texas) will be better than Sunday morning. Is this a fair assessment?
What are the prospects (I know this is not the best time) to see meteors from Madison, Wisconsin Saturday and Sunday night between 10 pm and midnight? Is Friday night after midnight too early in the week?
Hello,
Will the Perseids be viewable from Monteverde, Costa Rica? If so, what would be the best time?
Thank you!
To get these answered, I'll just kind of barge in here. You may get other responses but I wanted to take care of this now. I am having some problems posting to the comments board today, so I will put several responses (Firsh through Valeria) in this one comment:
Firsh,
Yes, it is possible on occasion to see a trail from a meteor, and I suppose that the bright part of the meteor could illuminate the tail behind. This also could happen with incoming space debris from satellites and rockets. It would not be terribly common, mind you, but possible.
LS
=====
Lisa,
Perseus never gets very high from South Australia or New Zealand, but it does appear briefly in the north. I personally wouldn't count on much, but you maybe able to see a few. You are what, five or six hours ahead of UT? If the info from the RASC is correct, and the main peak is about 5 Universal Time, your best bet will still be before dawn, local time, on Monday. Most of the time Perseus is below the horizon for as far south as Australia and NZ, but it should peak over the northern horizon for a few hours before dawn.
LS
=====
Robert M.,
I don't want to be too restrictive, but meteor showers can be "tempermental" things. I hesitate to hype it too much because it might not be as good as we would like. According the RASC handbook, the peak is at 5 hours UT on Monday morning. That is about 1 a.m. EDT, and earlier the farther west you go. However, Perseus is actually better placed (higher) in the sky closer to dawn. So the best time will for most of us in the US and Canada will be from about midnight until dawn on Monday. I hope.
LS
=====
Mike P.
Sunday night, not bad, as the peak is actually set for about midnight. Closer to dawn bring a better orientation of Perseus, though. For Saturday I wouldn't count on too much (I tend to be conservative on this), but I would suggest observations before dawn on Sunday rather than earlier on Saturday night. As for Friday, you might see a few, but the predictions would have the numbers significantly reduced. However, keep in mind that on average, you should be able to see 5-6 meteors per hour on any night after midnight, given very clear skies away from lights.
LS
====
Valeria,
They should be visible from Costa Rica, but your location farther south means that Perseus will not be as high in the sky to the north and northeast. However, given a dark and clear sky, you should be able to see them, probably best between midnight and dawn on Monday the 13th.
LS
=====
Will The Meteor Shower Be Visible In Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley Area In California. On August 12th? And What Are The Best Times?
I live in NWIllinois…what are the propects for viewing the
Preceid meteor shower????
JJ and Roy,
The general instructions we’ve given apply pretty much equally well to Socal or Illinois. The only differences are the expected time of peak. By the RASC projection I’ve given earlier, the peak comes at about 1 a.m. Monday morning for Illinois and 10 p.m Sunday night for California. Since the radiant of the shower will be higher in Indiana at that time, this makes it slightly the more favorable location. But JJ, if you can find a clear dark location from near the LA area — maybe out toward Victorville and Barstow, or if you are farther north, maybe Palmdale — you should have a good chance, but I suspect it will be better from midnight on. The important thing for both areas is that you have a clear, dark sky to the east and northeast.
Larry Sessions
hi, I hate to bother you guys with yet another specific question – but I live in New York City and was wondering if I could see the shower from Port Jefferson, NY or Poughkeepsie, NY between 9pm-12am or 1am-4am. (doesn’t have to be all the best it can be, I’m looking for convenience as I have to be back in the city by monday morning). Did some research on the “Bortle Class” (a measure of Light Pollution) of the two towns (http://www.novac.com/lp/def.php), and they’re of Class 6 or 7, so I wont be seeing any milky way but I’m sure I’ll see the meteors, some stars, and Mars at least right? And would it be worth it to do the 1am-4am watching or should the 9pm-12am be pretty good as well? Thanks alot guys! Appreciate your help with your expertise on the matter.
Hi,
You might got tun this questions but, just one more for you. Whether it is visible in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thank You.
The flashing of the northern lights woke me up in Leavenworth County, KS 30 minutes ago. It’s like a great lightning show__ without the thunder! Can’t wait to see the meteors!
Enjoy the miracles of our world! Nice to hear from folks all over. Carol
Hello, I am just wondering if you could answer me this question.I have seen two meteors in the last two nights.I live in northern Australia is it possible these are from the perseid?I actually only found out about the perseid as it worried me that i had seen two in consecutive nights and began looking things up on the net and found this.I am not sure as I keep reading it is not as visible in the southern hemisphere.Any help would be appreciated.THANKS
My husband said he saw a very bright meteor with a long tail two nights ago as he was driving through Lampasas, TX. I also wondered if it was part of the Perseid shower or a random meteor.
To Steven, Qian, Carol, Mel and Michelle
OK folks, I’ll barge in here again. I’m going to put several responses in this one comment because our anti-spam software won’t let me do more than one in a given time period. So if you left a message recently, scroll down to see my response.
Stephen,
Never hesitate to ask specific questions! I can’t speak for everyone at E&S, but I love to answer questions. I am assuming that you are talking Sunday night and Monday morning. I can’t guarantee anything, but I think it would be worth a shot. What I have shows the peak at 1 a.m. Eastern, so the 1 a.m. – 4 a.m. shot — at least in that sense — would be the better choice. However, you should certainly be able to see a decent show in the earlier time slot if the sky is clear and dark. (And if you are going into the City on Monday morning you might want some sleep!) And yes you will get Mars and stars as well. Between the two locations, I suspect that Poughkeepsie might be better. You will be looking mostly northeast, and it seems that there would be less light in that direction than at Port Jefferson. Also at Port Jefferson you would have more concerns about mist over the Sound. But I can’t predict the weather, and you have more local experience on that. In any event, clear skies and great observing.
Qian,
You are at less than 4 degrees North latitude, so the radiant will not be as high from Koala Lumpur as here in the US, but in the several hours before dawn, you should get a pretty good show, given clear and dark skies to the North. Perseus and the radiant of the meteors, will be in the northeast sky. The best time for you is before dawn on Monday.
Carol,
Wow, the Northern Lights. I remember noting last night that the aurora map looked more active than it had been recently, and I usually send out an alert but failed to do so last night. Darn! You can check it out here:
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/
Mel,
The two meteors you saw could have been from the Perseids. If so, they likely would have appeared to be coming from the north or northeast sky (if you tracked them back in the sky). It also is possible that they were what are called “sporadic” meteors, which can happen any night. If they were very big and bright and appeared to break up or even blow up, they may have been what we call fireballs. No worries, they are harmless and while fireballs aren’t really too unusual, it is fairly rare for an individual person to see one.
As for the Perseids, what you have read is correct, but you should be able to see some. Because you are so far South, the radiant of the shower doesn’t rise too high in your sky, but you certainly should be able to see some of the shower. Look to the northeast to north before sunrise on Monday. I think the peak actually comes well after sunrise for you, but there should be a good chance before dawn as long as it is very clear and dark. It looks to me that Perseus rises far to your northeast about 4 hours before sunrise, so from then until the sky gets too light would likely be the best time. Be sure to let your eyes adapt to the dark away from any lights at least 15 minutes before you expect to see any meteors.
Michelle,
I really can’t say. It depends largely on the time and direction of the meteor. Certainly it could have been a Perseid, as the shower is well known for fireballs. But it could have been a sporadic as well. In any event, if you are somewhere near Lampasas, you are in a great location (given clear skies) for a good show on Monday morning. I hate saying things like that, though. I try not to be superstitious, but it seems like every time I make a prediction about how good a meteor shower is going to be, it is a dud! But let’s acknowledge that superstition is just that and make the prediction that this year’s shower will be great!
Larry Sessions for E&S
Larry –
I live in the Denver area (like you.) Where’s the best place to see the Perseids Sunday night-Monday morning? I’m willing to drive 2-3 hours. Thanks!
How well will we be able to see the showers from Stanley New Mexico, there is nothing to obstract the view and which directions is best to watch for.
thanks
Mandy
Best day and time for Orlando, FL? (I will travel outside the city for the darkest sky I can reasonably get.)
Mandy and Donna,
Everyone in North America and Europe, given clear and dark skies, has a good chance of seeing some of this shower. The prime time for everyone in North America is midnight to dawn on Monday the 13th. Probably the best chances are in the eastern half of North America and the western part of Europe, although the western half of North America should have a good show as well.
In general, anyone, anywhere except where it is still contant daylight near the North Pole, has the chance of seeing some of these meteors. There conceivably could be some rare Perseid that makes it as far south as to be seen at the South Pole, but that would be stretching it. The best views are from the northern hemisphere, and according to what I have seen, the best time is likely to be about 5 hours Universal, which translates to 1 a.m. EDT on Monday morning. However, the radiant of the shower becomes better placed (higher) and slightly more observable closer to dawn.
LS
Christine,
Probably no need to drive that far. Anywhere clear where there is no metropolitan area to the east or north of you should do. I watched the Perseids once from echo lake near the top of Mount Evans, but you can also get good views at more accessible locations. You also can drive out east of Aurora, out towards Bennett, maybe. I’ve also driven 10-15 miles eastward on Quincy (from the eastern side of Cherry Creek State Park). It gets pretty dark out there and there is a location used by DU for something (I have no idea what it is), but we watched the Leonids out there a few years ago. That was a good site, and probably my pick of the litter. I can’t remember exactly where that is, but if you just drive out Quincy a ways there are places you can pull of the road and have a good view. Maybe up in the Barr Lake area, but do stay away from highways. There are lots of places north and east of Denver, along back roads, but you always have to be careful because sometimes people barrel through there at all times of night. Otherwise, any clear dark location works. Just avoid city lights and especially DIA. And use the buddy system — observe with a friend.
Larry S.
Hi Larry: Thanks for all of you information. Of course, I would also like more pinpointed info for my area. In the past, I have watched the Perseids but didn’t know what direction to look for. Now knowing that they originate from somewhere south of Cassiopeia (I can easily find that one, it’s my favorite) I will be better prepared. However, I can’t be out all night with my children. What is the best time/day for Lewiston, Idaho? Thank you so much! Dawn
I live in Massachusetts, and I was wondering when the best time for viewing the Perseids would be(sun. morn, night, or mon. morn?)
Also where would the be visible in the sky?
Dawn and Tom,
For anyone in North America, the predicted best time is late Sunday night until dawn Monday. If I had limited time, I would pick around the time of the predicted peak, 1 a.m. Monday morning for Massachusetts and 10 p.m. Sunday for Lewiston.
The actual predicted peak time is 1 a.m. EDT, midnight CDT, 11 p.m. (Sunday) MDT and 10 p.m. PDT (adjust for other time zones). This is true whether you’re in New York or Los Angeles, Miami or Seattle or anywhere in Canada (except the very far north in Canada and Alaska where it doesn’t get dark enough).
You do NOT want to emphasize a specific spot in the sky. There is a specific spot in Perseus, but rarely do meteors actually appear there. [If you face northeast at about, say, 11 p.m., Perseus is near the horizon, more or less directly beneath Cassiopeia.] It’s just that if you traced the path of all shower meteors back, they would intersect at that point, called the radiant. The meteors typically appear some degrees from the radiant, and can appear halfway (or more) across the sky. You just want to look in the general direction. For late Sunday night, that’s northeast. It gets higher as the night goes on, such that by dawn on Monday it is nearly overhead for most of North America. Again, don’t worry about a specific point in the sky, just look in the general direction.
And do NOT use binoculars or telescopes, as these greatly reduce the amount of sky you can see. What you want here is to be able to see as wide a swath of sky as you can. (There are plently of other things to look at with binoculars and telescopes — but meteors aren’t one of them.)
LS
Hello,
I live in new york city and Perseids will be the first meteor shower I will witness with my very own peepers. So, for anyone interest, I found out there is going to be a free event up in MA. It would take me 4 and a 1/2 hours to get there by car, so I was wondering if there is anyone here who may know of a good place to go to closer to the city. If so, please reply. I’ve listed the information for the event in MA and link below.
When: Sunday, August 12, 2007, 10 pm-to-3 am!
Where: Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary headquarters parking lot
What: The Perseids is one of the two best meteor showers of the year, and this year’s event should be especially good – weather permitting – since there is no moonlight to interfere.
How: No experience needed! You observe meteors simply by sitting – or lying – and looking up. Critical items: cover-up with blanket or sleeping bag, long pants, and long shirt, not just to keep warm, but so you don’t give the mosquitoes anything to feed on; mosquito repellant; a RED flashlight only. (White light ruins your night vision, as well as that of others.)
Thank you!
Sir, is this event visible for the people of India? Some parts of the India is having Monsoon rainy atmosphere.. Is it visible through this type of atmosphere?.
Hi there
Any chance if we can see from Melbourne, Australia?
To Marlene, Suraj and D3P (Wow, New York, India and Australia!)
Marlene in NY: Look for my response to Stephen above. He was thinking about the Poughkeepsie area. But just anywhere you can get away from lights and hopefully clouds and mist.
Suraj, certainly the Perseids will appear in the sky above India, probably best before dawn on Monday, but you are not likely to see anything through the clouds. However, if it is dark where you live and there are breaks in the clouds, maybe. So astronomically yes, but as far as the weather goes I don’t know.
D3P, Melbourne is awfully far south to see much. Perseus, where the radiant of the shower is located, just barely rises over your northern horizon in the few hours before dawn. I am not familiar with Melbourne, but if you have mountains nearby to the north, that will hamper your view further. All in all, you may see a few meteors coming from the northern sky shortly before dawn on Monday, but I wouldn’t count on a lot. Sorry.
Larry Sessions
Depending on conditions, I have a great view of meteor showers. Living on the Big Island of Hawaii, we have areas that often have clear sky (that is if the volcano is not very active). The island is sparsely populated and many places on the west side have black lava rock and no lights. It can be very dark at night!
We have many observatories on Mauna Kea (14,000 feet up), so county law requires all terrestial lights to be low pressure sodium and pointed towards earth so that they don’t shine up and reflect of any clouds and don’t effect the optics up there.
Because the observatories are above the clouds (most times) visitors seem to think they can drive up there for a better view; however, it is very trecherous and close to freezing. Their car lights would bother the observatories also. Thus we stay at a warm sea level and enjoy the view.
I wish all of you, clear skies and great viewing!
where is the best place to see the meteor shower in losangeles ca thanks
My sons and I are going to be in Las Vegas this weekend (August 11 – 14), probably one of the worst possible places to observe the Perseids, let alone see stars at all. But I’m more than willing to drive away from the city one of those nights. Any suggestions which way to go, how far, and where to stop? Thanks!
To Lavarock, Eric Pena, and Rick
Lavarock — too cool. I can’t think of a better place to observe the Perseids, or any meteor shower, or sunrise on a Wednesday, or sand on the beach, or a cloud, or… well, I envy you!
Eric,
Go East young man, go East! Well, basically get as far east of the LA sky glow as you can. I’ve heard from people going possibly to the Victorville area or Barstow. You may not need to go that far, but anywhere that the LA glow is to your west is better than in the LA light fingerprint. If you can do it, as far east on 10 or 40 as you can reasonably go is probably your best bet, but of course it all depends on the weather.
Rick,
the same basic recommendations I gave to Eric apply to you in Las Vegas. I’d suggest that maybe some of the areas around Lake Mead, or even Death Valley if you can go farther. If you can’t go very far, then anywhere east is good, maybe up 15 or east on 93.
All of you please keep in mind that meteor showers are not 100 percent predictable. It’s fairly easy to predict the time (which for all of you is probably best late Sunday night), but impossible to predict the exact number of meteors anyone can see. All in all, however, this looks like a very good year.
Larry S.
Denver
Hey, any chance of seeing this in Orlando, FL with all the theme park lights ?
I’m heading to the Desert tonight! Luckily I have a free condo to use in Palm Desert. Sunday late afternoon I’m leading an expedition to Joshua Tree! Wish you were all here! SAVE DARK SKIES!!!
Peace!
Peggy
Hi there! I live in Brooklyn, NY. Where do you suggest the best place to to view the shower late sunday night and monday would be? I am willing to drive up to 2.5 hours, leaving sunday afternoon. If you could tell me at least the optimum direction in with to head out of the city, I would be much obliged. Thank you so much!
Greetings everyone!
I just returned from a star party in the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, where there was no internet access. Upon my return, I did what I could to catch up, reading all your comments and feeling all the enthusiasm. Thank you, Larry, for answering the many, many questions!
As a general rule, the best observing times are between midnight and dawn, though you can still see some Perseid meteors in the evening hous. Find an open sky, away from from pesky lights. Make yourself comfortable, then watch the show!
A number of days before the predicted peak, I saw a fair number of Perseid meteors at the Adirondack Astronomy Retreat. Though the peak is forecasted for the predawn hours Monday, keep in mind that predicting the peak and intensity of a meteor shower represents an educated guess. It’s by no means written in stone. Watching meteors is a like like fishing – there’s always the element of surprise and uncertainty.
However, the Perseids are an especially dependable and prolific meteor shower. This year, there is no moon around the obscure the show, so this is a particularly favorable year for watching the Perseid meteor shower.
Once again, find a dark, open sky. Optimum viewing is generally between midnight and dawn.
Good luck!
Bruce
I live in Michigan and i plan on going to the Dark Sky Preserve at the Lake Hudson Recreation Area Saturday night. What are the chances of a good show after midnight? I can’t stay out too late, definitely not until dawn.
Alan,
The chances are good for seeing the Perseids after midnight. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. If you can, watch the show for an hour or more. Oftentimes, meteors come in spurts, with quiet times in between.
Good luck!
Bruce
Viewed the shower Friday night after 12am in Pioneer, CA which is near Lake Tahoe. We saw the biggest shooting star I’ve ever observed. It was headed east and directly overhead. We saw flames of multiple colors, smoke, and intense burning until it died out above the horizon. I thought it might be space debris it was so large and close. Anyone else see this?
Hank,
Yes, somebody else did report this humongous meteor (if that’s what it is) in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in California! Read what Victoria had to say (comment #13) right here.
Thanks for your report, and verifying Victoria’s comments!
Bruce
Hi,
This seems like a great forum for the meteor shower info. I had a question regarding any dangers of a meteor shower. Does it pose any danger to flying on commercial planes during a meteor shower? My educated guess would be “no” after reading so many posts and not seeing one single comment indicating it is. I’d look forward to hear from you.
- H
Hi, I’m from Southern California in the INland empire. I was wondering if we go into the mountains like the Asusa canyon would I be able to see the meteor shower?
Himashu,
Meteors vaporize 60 miles or so above the Earth’s surface, so I doubt that meteors pose much danger to commercial planes, which fly much lower than that. I’m sending this article about the very low danger of meteors.
lala,
If the canyon doesn’t restrict your view of the sky too much, it should be fine for watching the Perseids.
Bruce
Hi, i live in IL about 45 min from chicago. Any good placs around here or no?
John,
Any dark spot with an open view of the sky should do the trick.
Clear skies,
Bruce
Hello, i am from jamaica. would i get to see the shower? If i look north will i get to see it?
Hello, will a veiwer in Tennessee only able to veiw the southwestern sky be able to see anything? Thanks
Hello, I’m Navid. Can you tell the time of when the meteor shower will happen? Also, I live in Norwalk, California. Will it be visible here in southern California?
I am in Libya (north Africa), and plan to start watching at 10pm tonight (the 12th) local time, which is one hour ahead of the time in England (not sure if they observe DST, or if Libya does, or what, but I know I am one hour ahead of my coworkers in London right now *8-). Is this a decent time to start watching, or should I start sometime in the middle of the night? It is my understanding that the Perseids ‘ramp up’ fairly slowly to their peak, and then drop off dramatically. I’d rather catch them on their “up” side rather than their “down” side (in other words, I don’t want to miss them!). The sky in the outskirts of Tripoli which is where I am is very dark, and the sky should be clear of clouds (it is now, and hopefully it will stay that way!). Thanks!! Jason in Tripoli
Hi all, I have tried to read all the comments and they were very helpful =)
but I have a more specific question and hope someone could help me out a little, because this will be my very first time trying to catch a meteor shower so excited and my aunts came over for a holiday so thought i would invite them as well :)
Ok, I live in UK, south east of London. I was wondering what will be the best time of watching it? and would I need to look out in any direction N/S/E/W? Also i was planning on just going to a park to see it, but there will be some amount of lights..would that limit the chance of me seeing them?
Thanks in advance =)
ps: would this meteor shower be viewable for the people in Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City?
Where and when to watch the Perseids:
Everyone in the northern hemisphere is in a good position to watch the Perseid meteors, if you have access to a dark, open sky. The best viewing is after midnight and before dawn. Since the Perseids shoot all across the sky, a reclining position that lets you view a large expanse of sky is to your advantage. If you know your directions, lie down and have your feet point eastward at late evening; if you don’t know your directions, don’t worry about it.
If you live in the southern hemisphere, your best bet for catching the Perseids is during the predawn hours. While in a reclining position, have your feet point northward.
Tonight (Sunday, August 12 – Monday, August 13) is the forecasted peak for the Perseid meteors. If you live in the northern hemisphere, you’ll probably see some Perseids in the evening hours, though these meteors will intensify after midnight. The greatest number of Perseids will probably rain down during wee hours before dawn.
Bruce
BB, it needs to be fairly dark to get a good view, but MORE importantly, the sky needs to be clear. If this is one of those rare clear nights in London, you could be in for a good show. It would be better if you could see it from outside the city, but if the park is big enough, you might be okay. When I was in London a couple weeks ago, it was nice and clear — good luck!!
Hi, is it possible to view the meteor shower in Tucumcari, NM?
Will I be able to see the meteor shower from Jersey City or Union City, NJ?
Hi,
Thank you for all the great info!
I’m in Los Angeles. Could you please advise if for the best viewing would it be better to head east to Desert Hot Springs or north to Mt Pinos?
Thank you
Roxanne and Alexandria,
Please read comment #56 on where and when you can view the Perseid shower. Yes, you will be able to see the Perseids in your part of the world, given that you have access to clear, dark, open skies.
Best of luck!
Bruce
Kaja,
Any open view of the sky that is relatively free of light pollution is fine for watching the Perseids. The darker the sky, the better.
Bruce
hi, i live in Chicago and i was wondering if i go driving out near evanston will i better my chances of seeing the meteor shower??? or should i head in another direction???thanks!
Date 12 august 22:04
me nd me mates are here in swansea,Wales on top of a shed roof, waiting for it to happen, hope it does were freeking freezing .;....22:07 its stARTED AND IT LOOKS AMAZING
Hi,
I live in Ottawa and am most certain that i should be able to view these showers provided we get out about 15 minutes out of the city. anyways its supposed to rain tonite, so how much will that hinder the meteor shower?
Hey… i’m in Suffolk UK, its 10:51pm. Unfortunately the sky has clouded up again, but in the last 20 minutes outside I saw 6 great meteors from my back garden! I live near the 2 biggest US air bases in the UK and the light pollution is pretty bad, but even so… it is an awe inspiring spectacle!!!
Obviously the darker the sky the better, and it will reach its peak between 1 and 4, but I strongly advise everyone to go take a peak… It put a huge smile on my face…
Clare xx
The meteor shower is awesome. My husband, son and I were up from 1a.m. to 2a.m and couldnt believe the amount we had seen. We live out in the country on a farm so we could see really well. Hope you all get to view this awesome site.
Sandy in Illinois
I live in bakersfield, CA. I was watching for meteors, but i only saw 1. It was about 9:15 p.m. Its wasx pretty cool, i have never seen one before. But I plan on getting up in a few hours to watch for more before dawn!!!!
Bruce,
I have read all of the comments about the large fireball and sonic boom over the Sierra at 12:10 AM early Saturday morning 8/11/06. We were at Pinecrest lake and dozens of people experienced the same thing as the fireball streaked overhead and to the south. The consensus is that the boom came about 25-30 seconds after the blue fireball which lit up the sky to near daylight conditions – so 5-6 miles away. Is there some central place where we will ever know if it actually hit the earth? Sure would be interesting to know. I have been searching the net and haven’t found anything. Tim Tight (ttight@msquared.com)
Tim,
If I can get some definite information about this mysterious fireball, I’ll post it here. If anyone else knows anything, please do likewise.
I had cloudy skies on the peak night, but saw a good number of Perseids on previous nights. Great to hear your reports!
Bruce
As I was watching the meteor shower I turned my back and saw a baseball sized meteor crash into the golf course at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, Florida at about 10:20 p.m. 8/12/07. I tried to find it but I believe it went into a lake at the end of hole 1.
Do meteor showers present an increased risk for the astronauts in the international space station and on the space shuttle?
I posted this on the other page but wanted to add some details – here on this page. (thanks for your reply Bruce!)
We got up at 4 AM West coast time. Between my wife and I we saw 7 Perseids streaking down. As we live in a beach city we were challenged to find a bare open space with no lights. The beach area is always lit up. So we went to a golf course where it was darker. By this time it was closer to 5 Am and the city lights were aglow but we managed to see 7 brief streaks of lights all scattered some distance apart. Next time we will bring a blanket. :-) My wife swears she might have seen more if you consider the ‘out of the corner of the eye ‘ experience. They happen that fast!!
I am wondering if by chance we here in So.Cal will be able to see more showers tonight or the early AM hours again? It is pretty incredible that we have an event where people from all over the world can witness it nearly simultaneously! I would have loved to attend that Retreat in the Andirondacks. Will there be another one like it again and is it open to anyone to attend?? Anyway, this is a great site. Lots of information. We are headed for breakfast now. Thanks, Will.
To John:
To the best of my knowledge, meteor showers don’t pose that much of an increased risk to satellites orbiting Earth. I remember, though, that in the Novembers of 1999-2001, scientists were concerned about the impact of Leonid meteor storm on these satellites. I don’t recall much being said after the Leonid meteor storm had passed, so I presume the satellites survived pretty much unscathed. Here is another article about the impact hazards of meteoroids and meteors.
To Will:
Yes, you should be able to see the Perseids the next few nights, though the numbers will drop off. The same rule applies: the shower tends to intensify after midnight and to put out the greatest number of meteors just before dawn. The Adirondack Astronomy Retreat is an annual event, hosted by Wendee and David Levy. Register early if you want to go, because it’s limited to 50 participants!
Bruce
I watched the Perseids last night from my yard in Dover, MA and enjoyed seeing a variety of meteors zip across the sky. I watched between 10:30 and 11:45pm, which isn’t the peak time, but I still saw 20 in total, which was good enough for me. And the twentieth was a doozy with a bright flash and a nice long tail. It’s fascinating to me that most of them are the size of a pea or a grain of sand! :)
Zaiga,
Your story well illustrates the fact that these Perseid meteors are easily visible in the evening hours, if you’re willing to see fewer meteors per hour. Thanks for writing to Earth & Sky about your meteor watching adventure!
Bruce
Hi, this is great info, thank you!
I live in Victoria, BC and wondered if there is any chance of viewing any remnants of the Perseid meteor showers tonight (Monday), even though the peak was last night/early this morning?
Tom,
Yes, you should be able to see some Perseid meteors tonight. If clear skies abound, you might want to take advantage of the opportunity. More than likely, the meteor numbers will drop off precipitously over the next several nights.
Bruce
Hello all, I too saw the big one in the Sierra. I was with a group in the Stanislaus National Forest camping on the Stanislaus river. Shortly after midnight about 15 of us were sitting around the campfire and talking. When the entire campground lit up with a super white light, it was instant daylight! All of us looked up to see what was going on, only to see the meteor trail off and burn up what appeared to be just across the river and up the hill. It was awesome, and we really did not know what it was at the time. About 2 min. later there was a very large deep explosion, that sounded like a back-to-back double explosion. it sounded very far away and you could tell it was quite large.
Some of the people in our group had already gone to their tents to go to bed and said the ground really shook and woke some people up.
I would love to learn more information about this sighting if anyone hears anything. All I can say is that it looked and felt VERY close.
Ryan
To everyone who witnessed the possible fireball:
Please report this fireball to the American Meteor Society
Thank you!
Bruce
Went off-road camping to Highland County (VA) with the express purpose of watching the Perseids. Way remote location, no lights from anywhere, perfectly clear sky…. Saturday was great – saw several earth-grazers that crossed the entire sky. Stayed up late Sunday night into Monday morning but hardly saw any….
Sandy,
I presume you saw the earth-grazers in the evening. That’s one of the reasons I like to view meteors during the evening hours: because you’re more likely to catch earth-grazers. In the evening, the meteors tend to shoot across the sky and to travel parallel to the horizon. In the predawn hours, the meteors rain down from overhead, therefore foreshortening your view of the meteors.
Thanks for writing!
Bruce
hey, i just learned of the shower and was told tonite was the best night to see it. unfortunatly i was misinformed. was wondering if it may be still visable on the tail end of shower tonite at 10:30 in washington state.
thanx so much,
janae
janae,
My wife Alice and I saw a fair number of Perseid meteors on Wednesday evening (Aug. 15), even though the peak had passed. If it’s clear and dark, I’d give it a go tonight, before the numbers fall off even more.
Good luck!
Bruce
August 10th Fireball!!!
I just returned from 10 days in the back country of the Sierra Nevada’s in the Emigrant Wilderness area. The Fireball passed our group directly overhead. It was a huge red ball that extinguished itself over our heads, the light illuminated everything around us, I mean daylight at midnight! The light was red to blue in color. At the point when the ball extinguished it appeared to split in two. The impact explosion that followed some 5-7 seconds later echoed up the mountain canyon’s. From the distance it sounded like an oil refinery had blown up.
This was an unbelievable event to an extremely active shower.
August 11th Fireball (note post 85 incorrectly has Aug 10)
Saturday night, just after midnight. Our group was camping at Humbug Valley, just west of Lake Almanor and Butt Lake. We observed an extremely bright flash of light. It was a double flash. No sound.
The light was so intense that many of us initially believed that someone had fired a flash from a camera, it was that bright.
Are there any accounts from locations farther north of Lake Almanor?
Has anybody compiled the reports and determined if this was one object observed from Yosemite to Almanor?
My brother and I went to the pineapple fields in central Oahu on the night of the 12th morning of the 13th and counted 251 meteors. The ones that came in early were the classic earth grazers with long trains and fairly bright. We also witnessed several bursts of 2,3,4 after 2am wow what a show!
August 16th Fireball (Massachusetts)
Myself and a friend were in Wellfleet (Cape Cod) Massachusetts on the eve of the 16th at approx. 11pm, high in the open tower above a cottage we’d rented, in a very dark location, when to our total shock a huge fireball meteor passed above us heading north towards Boston. As it streked northward it started to breakup with two distinct tails trailing from each side. It was so massive we surely thought it would hit Boston. We’re still talking about it, and thankful we both witnessed it for verification. Surely someone else witnessed this. Replys wanted!!
On Sunday night (Monday a.m. 8/13/07) about 12:15am, we were outside in Western Mighigan and had observed several meteors, looking to the east approximately toward the constallation that resembles the “w”?_ W__?. All of the sudden there was this bright green/teal (huge) ball of fire and it went from the North to the South across the horizon. We didnt think it was ever going to stop and then it finally exploded into a few peices. The smoke trail was visible for several minutes. What could this have been? I wanted to go look in the woods but my 16yr old son insisted it was far far away and broke before getting into earths atmoshphere. I still feel there should be something out there, like a meteor in the ground!!! (It was one of those things that you couldnt have missed if you were outside, not like a falling star, that maybe only one of us could see) I had grabbed my 11 year old like I had to protect her. Then we all were yelling and finally calmed down, and decided that we will probably never see anything like that again. Did anyone else in Michigan report this? One of my daughters friends saw it, but nothing on the news that I could find. We are new to this so not sure if it was a persied, earth grazer, fireball or what. Please help!
Phantom, Rick, Robert, Paul and Mike,
Thank you for sending in your meteor and fireball reports. For future reference, remember fireball sightings can be reported to the American Meteor Society
To Phantom:
That W-shaped constellation is Cassiopeia the Queen, which lodges right next to the constellation Perseus. At the time and date you saw the fireball, the constellation Perseus was right beneath Cassiopeia, and close to the horizon. If you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backward, they appear to radiate from the direction of Perseus. When the “radiant” of a meteor shower lurks close to the horizon (like it did when you were looking), you tend to see earthgrazers – meteors that more or less travel parallel to the horizon. If the meteor is especially bright (like the one you saw), it’s called a fireball. From what I understand, fireballs can appear very bright, but still may not survive the fiery plunge to land on the ground as a meteorite.
Bruce