The next big sky show comes late Sunday night, and it’s expected to be one of the most impressive shooting displays of 2024.
The Perseid meteor shower, which appears annually between late July and mid-August, is expected to peak on the evening of Sunday, August 11 and before dawn on Monday, August 12, according to NASA.
The Perseids mark one of the most abundant meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere, displaying about 50 to 100 meteors per hour, NASA reports.
In this August 9. 2018, file photo, a Perseid meteor streaks along the Milky Way over the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party in the Cypress Hills of southwestern Saskatchewan, at the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
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In addition to the abundant display, the Perseids – named after the constellation Perseus – are known for bringing fireballs, bright colors and long meteor tails to the night sky.
“Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can last longer than the average meteor shower,” according to NASA.
Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere, from the equator to mid-latitudes, will still catch a glimpse of the shower, although it will be less pronounced than in the north.
A huge Perseid meteor is seen across the night sky in Haputale, Sri Lanka, on August 4, 2024.
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Unfortunately, the agency notes that viewing meteor showers this year will be “somewhat” affected by the moon, which will increase by 53% in its cycle, leaving more brightness in the sky to take away from the view.
The best time to see the Perseids will be after midnight and it will become more pronounced as the sky darkens, according to NASA.
Also, those watching the shower in remote locations, away from city lights, will have the best chance for a clear view, NASA says.
So where do the Perseids come from and why do they appear annually?
Meteors are produced by comet particles and debris from broken asteroids. As comets and asteroids navigate around the Sun, they create a train of dust and debris in their wake.
Every year, the Earth rotates through the track of debris, which allows it to affect the atmosphere and become visible to the naked eye.