Get ready for an exciting celestial event this summer! After a dry spell of nearly two months without any major meteor showers, July will see three meteor showers happening simultaneously. The peak of the season will be in August with the highly anticipated Perseid meteor shower. Known for its dazzling meteors and bright fireballs, the Perseids offer a spectacular show for stargazers worldwide, with up to 100 meteors streaking across the sky every hour.
One of the best things about the Perseids is that they occur in the summer, so viewers can enjoy the spectacle without having to brave cold weather like during other popular meteor showers such as the Leonids and Geminids. For those eager to witness these stunning displays, here’s a guide on when and where to catch the major meteor showers in July.
The Perseid meteor shower is set to kick off on Thursday, July 17, and will continue until August 23, best seen from the Northern Hemisphere. To get the best view, head out after sunset when the moon is below the horizon, minimizing light pollution and cloud interference. The peak viewing hours are typically between midnight and dawn, but with optimal conditions, Perseid meteors may be visible as early as 10 p.m. ET.
But that’s not all – this summer, the Perseids won’t be the only show in town. The Southern delta Aquarids and the alpha Capricornids are also expected to peak around the same time between July 29 and July 30. Although not as renowned as the Perseids, these meteor showers will be active until August 12, providing additional opportunities for skywatchers to enjoy the cosmic spectacle.
So mark your calendars and get ready to witness the magic of the summer sky with these upcoming meteor showers, starting with the much-anticipated Perseids in July.
Every year, across the globe, spectacular displays of light and color illuminate the sky for longer than the typical meteor streak, as reported by NASA. Could the presence of the moon impact the viewing of the Perseids? Here are some helpful tips for catching sight of these streaking meteors.
Unfortunately, the 2025 peak of the Perseid meteor shower falls just three days after a full moon. This means that the bright waning gibbous moon may outshine the fainter meteors, making them harder to see. However, for those eager to witness this celestial event, NASA offers the following advice to improve your chances:
– Seek out a location far from city lights or streetlights.
– Bring along a sleeping bag, blanket, or comfortable chair to lie back and gaze up at the sky.
– After allowing your eyes to adjust to the darkness for about 30 minutes, you’ll start to spot meteors streaking across the sky.
– TimeandDate website provides detailed guidance on when and where to view the Perseids.
What causes the Perseids, and are meteor showers the same as “shooting stars”? The Perseids originate from the constellation Perseus, consisting of debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Each year, Earth passes through the comet’s remnants, resulting in the Perseid meteor shower as these fragments burn up in our atmosphere, creating bright, colorful streaks referred to as “shooting stars” informally, according to NASA. Swift-Tuttle, an enormous comet discovered in 1862, was identified as the source of the Perseids by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1865. This article was written by Eric Lagatta, the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. For further inquiries, contact him at elagatta@gannett.com.
