Skip to content
Vatican Observatory
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Tours
    • Castel Gandolfo
    • U.S.
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
  • Shop
  • Calendar
    • View our Event Calendar
  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
    • VO in the News
    • Press Kit
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact
  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • FAQ
  • Telescopes
    • Overview
    • Telescope Images
  • Tours
    • Castel Gandolfo
    • U.S.
  • Latest
    • Overview
    • Resources
    • Press
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Research
    • Authors
      • FAQs
    • Newsletter
    • Tucson Meteor Cameras
  • Podcast
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Resource Center
    • Image Gallery
    • Summer School
    • Books
    • Software
    • Additional Resources
    • ACME
  • Shop
  • Calendar
    • View our Event Calendar
  • Donate
    • Donate Now
    • Smart Ways to Give
    • Sacred Space Astronomy
      • View Content
    • Bequests / Trusts
    • The Foundation
      • Newsletters
      • Annual Reports
  • Press
    • VO in the News
    • Press Kit
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
    • Contact

NASA Space Place: The Best Meteor Shower of the Year

By Robert Trembley  |  30 Jul 2018

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

The Best Meteor Shower of the Year NASA Space Place Logo

By Jane Houston Jones and Jessica Stoller-Conrad

If you’re a fan of meteor showers, August is going to be an exciting month! The Perseid meteor shower is the best of the year, and in 2018, the peak viewing time for the shower is on a dark, moonless night—perfect for spotting meteors.

The best time to look for meteors during this year’s Perseid shower is at the peak, from 4 p.m. EDT on Aug. 12 until 4 a.m. EDT on the Aug. 13. Because the new Moon falls on the peak night, the days before and after the peak will also provide very dark skies for viewing meteors. On the days surrounding the peak, the best time to view the showers is from a few hours after twilight until dawn.

Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky—called meteors.

The comet that creates the Perseid meteor shower—a comet called Swift-Tuttle—has a very wide trail of cometary dust. It’s so wide that it takes Earth more than three weeks to plow all the way through. Because of this wide trail, the Perseids have a longer peak viewing window than many other meteor showers throughout the year.

In fact, this year you should be able to see some meteors from July 17 to Aug. 24. The rates of meteors will increase during the weeks before Aug. 12 and decrease after Aug. 13. Observers should be able to see between 60 and 70 meteors per hour at the shower’s peak.

The Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is where we get the name for this shower. Perseus is visible in the northern sky soon after sunset this time of year. Observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views.

However, you don’t have to look directly at the constellation Perseus to see meteors. You can look anywhere you want to; 90 degrees left or right of Perseus, or even directly overhead, are all good choices.

Perseids Radiant The Perseid meteor showers appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus. Perseus is visible in the northern sky soon after sunset this time of year. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

While you’re watching the sky for meteors this month, you’ll also see a parade of the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—and the Milky Way also continues to grace the evening sky. In next month’s article, we’ll take a late summer stroll through the Milky Way. No telescope or binoculars required!

Catch up on all of NASA’s current—and future—missions at www.nasa.gov


This article is distributed by NASA Space Place.

With articles, activities and games NASA Space Place encourages everyone to get excited about science and technology. Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov to explore space and Earth science!

Share:
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Email

Sacred Space Astronomy

The Vatican Observatory’s official digital community and online magazine.

Become a Member

Recent Posts

Thoom! Pow!! ZZZzzzzzkkKTTT!!! – Battling Space Aliens Since 1898 (re-run)

By Mr. Christopher Graney  |  24 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Corkscrew Prom

By Deirdre Kelleghan  |  21 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

From the Vatican Observatory Faith and Science pages (Younger Readers) — Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas

By Faith and Science  |  21 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Nuns Helped Map Close To Half A Million Stars In The Early 20th Century After The Vatican Recruited Them

Chip Chick  |  20 May 2025  |  Press

Archives

      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • October
      • September
      • August
      • July
      • June
      • May
      • April
      • March
      • February
      • January
      • December
      • November
      • August
      • June
      • March
      • January
      • November
      • October
      • December
      • November
      • April
      • May
      • January
      • December
      • September
      • May
      • March
      • December
      • November
      • February

More Posts by
Robert Trembley

Nuns Helped Map Close To Half A Million Stars In The Early 20th Century After The Vatican Recruited Them

Chip Chick  |  20 May 2025  |  Press

Visit of Br. Guy Consolmagno S.J.

Pluscarden Abbey  |  19 May 2025  |  Press

Ellerman Bomb

By Robert Trembley  |  11 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup with Bob Trembley – May 12, 2025

By Robert Trembley  |  9 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

How to Pray with the Stars with Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ – AMDG Podcast

By Robert Trembley  |  7 May 2025  |  Sacred Space Astronomy

Vatican astronomer visits Mount St Mary’s College

Independent Catholic News  |  7 May 2025  |  Press

View More

Newsletter

Upcoming astronomical events, scientific breakthroughs, philosophical reflections… just a few reasons to subscribe to our newsletter!

Vatican Observatory
  • About
  • Telescopes
  • Tours
  • Latest
  • Podcast
  • Education
  • Shop
  • Calendar
  • Donate
  • Press
  • Specola Vaticana
  • Contact
Privacy Policy  |   Cookie Policy  |   Disclosure Statement  |   This website is supported by the Vatican Observatory Foundation

Podcast:

  • Apple Podcasts Listen onApple Podcasts
  • Spotify Listen onSpotify
  • Google Podcasts Listen onGoogle Podcasts
  • Stitcher Listen onStitcher
  • Amazon Alexa Listen onAmazon Alexa
  • TuneIn Listen onTuneIn
Made by Longbeard