Perseid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night under ideal conditions
The new moon will create excellent viewing conditions for the 2026 Perseid meteor shower, although some skywatchers will have to contend with cloudy weather.
The popular Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13, producing 60 to 100 meteors per hour. AccuWeather’s Anna Azallion provides the forecast for the upcoming astronomy events.
The year's most popular meteor shower will peak Wednesday night, giving stargazers a chance to see dozens of shooting stars streak across the sky just hours after a solar eclipse dims the sky over North America and Europe.
The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 12, into the early hours of Thursday, Aug. 13. It is one of the most active annual meteor showers and arrives in late summer, when spending time outdoors is generally more comfortable.
This year is an especially good year for the Perseids, as the peak coincides with the new moon, making it easier to spot dimmer shooting stars.
In rural areas, people may see 40-60 meteors per hour on peak night. In past years, there have been reports of up to 100 meteors per hour in extremely dark areas, but most people should expect lower numbers.
Meteors streaking across the sky in this compilation image of the 2015 Perseid meteor shower. No changes were made. (Image/ mLu.fotos)
Meteors will start to appear not long after nightfall, but the best viewing will come during the second half of the night when the radiant point, or the area of the sky where the meteors appear to originate, climbs higher in the sky. The higher the radiant point is, the more shooting stars are visible.
"When viewing meteor activity, there are always peaks and lulls of activity. One may go 10 minutes without seeing any activity and then see three within the next minute," the American Meteor Society explained on its website.
Contrary to popular belief, skywatchers do not need to look directly at the radiant point to enjoy the show, as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
Experts recommend finding a dark, open area away from city lights, getting comfortable and avoiding bright light sources, including cell phone screens, which can make it harder for the eyes to adjust to the dark.
Best places to watch the Perseids
The best weather for meteor watching on peak night is predicted along part of the West Coast and across the Gulf Coast states, where few clouds are expected.
Less favorable viewing conditions are expected from eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and Idaho, across the north-central United States and into areas of the Midwest and Ohio Valley, where thick clouds or wildfire smoke could block viewing completely. Elsewhere in the United States, there could be enough breaks in the clouds to spot at least a handful of meteors on Wednesday night.
People who miss the Perseids on Wednesday night will have a few more chances to spot shooting stars, as it will remain active into late August. However, activity will gradually decline with each passing night.
After the Perseids, the next meteor shower will be the Orionids in late October.
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