It’s historically one of the best meteor showers of the year, but this year’s Perseids faces some pressure from the moon.
The Perseid Meteor shower peaks tonight through Tuesday. The annual August show typically offers up 50-100 meteors per hour, but this year the number will likely be far lower because the moon is nearly full. That extra light makes it hard to see what many people call “shooting stars” associated with the meteor shower.
Even with the moon, it’s still possible to see the meteors zipping across the sky. As always, your best chance to see the show is by sitting in a dark spot away from city and street lights.
While you can spot a few any time after sunset, the viewing really gets good after 11 p.m. In fact, it might actually be best to set an early alarm and wake up around 3 or 4 a.m., just before dawn, because by then the moon will be setting, offering extra darkness.
From a weather standpoint around New England, viewing will be best Sunday night with mostly clear skies. Monday night won’t be terrible, but there will be a few extra clouds in the sky.
Tuesday viewing will be poor thanks to clouds and downpours.
