Perseid peak overnight Aug. 12-13, NASA says

NASA said on August 5 that the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak overnight on August 12 into August 13, with the annual display already active since early July and expected to continue through late August. The agency said 2026 should offer unusually favorable viewing because the peak arrives under dark skies near the new moon. Sky & Telescope said the timing makes this year “perfectly timed” for observers hoping to see one of the year’s best-known meteor showers. NASA also noted that August 12 includes a solar eclipse, creating an unusually crowded day on the skywatching calendar. ### When should people actually go outside to watch? NASA said the best viewing is expected during the overnight hours of August 12 into August 13. EarthSky also said the best window is after midnight through dawn on the mornings of August 12 and 13, when Perseid activity typically strengthens as the night deepens. Sky & Telescope said the shower peaks around the morning of August 13, while NASA’s August skywatching guide lists August 12-13 as the peak under dark skies. (nasa.gov) Taken together, the guidance points to late August 12 and the pre-dawn hours of August 13 as the main target for observers in the United States. ### Why are astronomers saying 2026 is a strong Perseid year? (nasa.gov) August 12 brings a new moon, NASA said, and that means little or no moonlight to wash out fainter meteors. Sky & Telescope said the new moon should give skywatchers a strong Perseid showing, and EarthSky said viewers will have dark skies during the peak. NASA’s Perseids overview says the shower is considered one of the best of the year because its meteors are swift and bright and often leave long wakes of light and color. (science.nasa.gov) The same NASA material lists the shower’s peak in mid-August and says Perseids are commonly among the most popular annual meteor displays. ### What causes the Perseids every year? (science.nasa.gov) NASA said the Perseids occur when Earth passes through debris left by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The particles hit Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, producing the streaks of light seen from the ground. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory repeated that explanation in its August skywatching video. The shower takes its name from Perseus because the meteors appear to radiate from that part of the sky, according to NASA. (science.nasa.gov) NASA’s meteor-shower guidance says showers are generally named for the constellation or star field near their apparent point of origin. ### How does the August 12 eclipse fit into this? NASA said a total solar eclipse will sweep across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain and a small part of Portugal on August 12. (jpl.nasa.gov) The agency said parts of the northern United States will see a partial eclipse that day. Sky & Telescope said the eclipse and the Perseid peak form a “double-header” on August 12. (science.nasa.gov) For U.S. observers, that means the eclipse is a daytime event in places where it is visible, while the meteor shower becomes the nighttime event to watch after dark. That sequencing is an inference from NASA’s eclipse map and the overnight timing NASA gave for the Perseid peak. (science.nasa.gov) ### Where should viewers look, and what should they expect? EarthSky said the best time to watch is after midnight through dawn, and NASA said dark skies away from bright city lights will improve the view. NASA’s general Perseids page says observers can expect about 25 meteors per hour under dark skies, though actual rates vary with location, weather and local light pollution. (skyandtelescope.org) August 12-13 is the next key window, with NASA’s Watch the Skies post and monthly skywatching guide carrying the agency’s latest timing and viewing advice. (nasa.gov) (earthsky.org)