NPR

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks After Midnight. NASA Says It's 'One Of The Best'

The light of the moon will reduce the visibility of some fainter meteors, but NASA says it's still worth staying up late — or rising very very early on Wednesday — to see "nature's fireworks."
The Perseid meteor shower, pictured here near Death Valley, Calif., in 2019, is one of the most popular of the year. This summer, it peaks in the predawn hours of Aug. 12.

If you're tired of binge-watching TV during the pandemic, Mother Nature has an alternative. All you have to do is go outside between about 2 a.m. Wednesday and dawn local time, lie on your back and look up at the sky. The meteors and fireballs of the Perseid meteor shower should be streaking.

says it's "one50 to 100 meteors to catch per hour as well as their — larger, brighter explosions of light and color that last longer than an average meteor streak.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Hiking The Azores Into Lush Mountains And Stormy North Atlantic Weather
NPR correspondent Brian Mann went trekking on Sao Miguel, one of the most remote islands in the North Atlantic. He found volcanic mountains, birdsong, solitude and lots of rain.
NPR2 min read
Brian Wilson Of The Beach Boys Is Being Placed Under A Legal Conservatorship
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the conservatorship Thursday, noting that Brian Wilson suffers from "a major cognitive disorder." Wilson has agreed to the conservatorship.
NPR3 min read
U.S. Report Says It's 'Reasonable To Assess' That Israel Has Violated Humanitarian Law
The State Department finds it likely that the Israeli military has committed abuses, but stops short of reaching any sweeping or definitive conclusions.

Related Books & Audiobooks