2018’s Perseid meteors

[ilan]

Expect moonless nights for 2018’s Perseid meteors
Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd in ASTRONOMY ESSENTIALS | August 1, 2018

Starting to watch for Perseids now? They’re rising in numbers, but – for the moment – the moon is in the way. That means the peak will be glorious – and moon-free – on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13.

No matter where you live worldwide, the 2018 Perseid meteor shower will probably produce the greatest number of meteors on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. In a dark, moonless sky, this annual shower often produces 50 or more meteors per hour. And this year, in 2018, there will be no moonlight to ruin the show.

It should be an awesome year to watch the Perseids!

In the Northern Hemisphere, we rank the August Perseids as an all-time favorite meteor shower of every year. For us, this major shower takes place during the lazy, hazy days of summer, when many families are on vacation. And what could be more luxurious than taking a siesta in the heat of the day and watching this summertime classic in the relative coolness of night?

People tend to focus on the peak mornings of the shower and that’s entirely appropriate. But meteors in annual showers – which come from streams of debris left behind in space by comets – typically last weeks, not days. Perseid meteors have been streaking across our skies since around July 17. We’ll see Perseids for 10 days or so after the peak mornings on August 11, 12 and 13. What’s more, the Perseids tend to build up gradually, yet fall off rapidly. So it’s often wise to watch in the couple of weeks prior to the peak … but not this year.

We can’t start watching for Perseids in early August in 2018, because the moon is in the way.

When and how should I watch the Perseid meteor shower in 2018? The best time to watch most meteor showers is between midnight and dawn, and the Perseids are no exception. The best mornings are probably August 11, 12 and 13. The best skies are those far from city lights.

Between early August and the peak mornings, you might catch a Perseid meteor in moonlight. New moon will be August 11, but don’t think you have to wait until then to see any meteors. The moon will be a slim crescent in the days prior to August 11, and a crescent moon is easy to blot out by sitting in the shadow of a tree or building. Plus, as the days leading up to new moon pass, the moon will be rising closer and closer to the time of sunrise.

Also remember, the the Delta Aquariid meteor shower is still rambling along steadily. You’ll see mostly Perseids but also a few Delta Aquariids in the mix.

No matter how many meteors you see, you might see something, and it might be a lot of fun.

Don’t rule out early evenings, either. In a typical year, although the meteor numbers increase after midnight, the Perseid meteors still start to fly at mid-to-late evening from northerly latitudes. South of the equator, the Perseids start to streak the sky around midnight. If fortune smiles upon you, the evening hours might offer you an earthgrazer – a looooong, slow, colorful meteor traveling horizontally across the evening sky. Earthgrazer meteors are rare but memorable. Perseid earthgrazers appear before midnight, when the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.
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You don't need any special equipment to see these meteors. The meteor shower is happening now, but the Moon is making the meteors difficult to see. It will get better, as the Moon's brightness wanes. Keep this meteor shower on your calendar! - ilan