Perseid Meteor Shower | 12th-13th August

The Perseid meteor shower is a popular meteor shower to observe in the northern hemisphere, with an average of about 100 meteors seen per hour.

You’ll see the Perseids better from northern Western Australia or the northern hemisphere. The radiant point, the point in the sky from which meteors appear to come, is very low on the horizon in southern WA, reducing the number of visible shooting stars.

This shower appears to emanate from the constellation Perseus, and is generated from comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. The Perseids are renowned for producing bright meteors.

Is it worth getting out of bed for the Perseid meteor shower?

If you’re in northern WA, your chances of seeing more meteors is better than in southern WA. This year’s Perseids coincides with a new moon, so the sky will be dark when you’re away from bright city lights. This increases your chances of seeing fainter meteors as well as the brighter ones.

When and where can I see the Perseids meteors?

The Perseid Meteor Shower is active from 17th July to 24th August. The shower peaks before dawn on 13th August, when it has risen a bit above the northern horizon, and you could see up to 100 meteors/hour.

The predicted hourly rate of meteor showers at their peak presumes that you’re viewing them in a perfectly dark sky and that the shower is directly overhead. Your viewing will vary, but cross your fingers for a spectacular show!

Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.

What is a meteor shower?

A meteor (commonly called a “shooting star”) is an unexpected, brief streak of light seen in our night sky. It’s caused when space debris, travelling up to 75km per second, enters Earth’s atmosphere. The debris can be as small as a grain of sand, which burns up in the atmosphere and causes a brief bright streak of light in our night sky.

A meteor shower is a celestial spectacle where large numbers of meteors, or “shooting stars”, streak across the night sky. These dazzling events occur when Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or other object that has come into our Solar System and orbited around the Sun. Visible to the naked eye, meteor showers offer a mesmerising display of bright streaks, adding a touch of cosmic wonder to the night.

Where is the best place for me to watch a meteor shower?

The best place to see any meteor shower is away from bright city lights, somewhere that the night sky is dark with no moonlight. Bright moonlight and light pollution make it harder to see fainter meteors, however you may still be able to see the brighter ones.

We recommend that you travel out to a dark sky location at one of WA’s Astrotourism Towns. If you’re an astrophotographer, these give you an excellent opportunity to capture meteors over some of WA’s iconic landscapes.

Do I need a telescope or binoculars to see the Perseids?

You don’t need either a telescope or binoculars to see a meteor shower. Meteor showers make for a great time to gather with friends under the stars. Simply roll out your favourite picnic rug, pack the drinks and snacks, and start counting how many “shooting stars” you see!

Something interesting

Meteor showers are named after the constellation where the “shooting stars” appear to be coming from. If you have a handy smartphone app that helps you identify objects in the night sky, search for the constellation, and you’ll be looking in the right direction.

You might like to report a fireball!

Be a citizen scientist and report meteor sightings. If you happen to see a very bright meteor (often referred to as a “fireball”), the fireballs team based at WA’s Curtin University would love to know. Report your fireball sighting with the International Meteor Organization.

The International Meteor Organization is a great place to discover more about all things meteors, check out their Meteor Shower Calendar, and you can even become a member.