The Perseid meteor shower is an annual summer delight for skywatchers and the best time to watch happens this weekend. Weather permitting, Indiana's night sky will come alive with fiery streaks of light zipping through Earth's upper atmosphere.
Here's what Hoosiers should know about where, when, and how to watch the Perseids before the season comes to a close.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
When rocks or other debris enter Earth's atmosphere at a high rate of speed, they often burn up. These fireballs or "shooting stars" are called meteors. The Perseid meteor shower happens every year when the Earth passes through a cloud of debris left behind by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. Perseid meteors tend to leave long "wakes" of light, writes NASA, as they streak across the sky.
When is the best time of year to watch the Perseid meteor shower?
The meteor shower is active from July through September and its peak activity will happen Aug. 11-13 in the Northern Hemisphere, according to theAmerican Meteor Society. If the weather cooperates, you should be able to spot dozens, if not hundreds, of meteors every night by mid-August.
Weather forecast during the Perseid meteor shower for Central Indiana
Midwest weather can be a fickle thing. While earlier reports suggested clear skies for Central Indiana, local forecasters with the National Weather Service now say Sunday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 59.
Monday and Tuesday evening might offer better odds of spotting meteors in Central Indiana. The forecast calls for only partly cloudy skies with lows in the low 60s.
Thankfully the moon will be at only half its illumination for better viewing. When it becomes full later this month, we'll have a seasonal blue moon.
What part of the night sky are the Perseid meteors?
Look up into the night sky and find what experts call "the radiant" — the point where the Perseids appear most frequently. In this case, it's the constellation Perseus, which begins to rise at roughly 11 p.m., writes Space.com.
Which direction to look to see the Perseid meteor shower
Look north toward the Perseus constellation, which is about 40 degrees latitude. Perseus will be under the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia. It never sets below the horizon and is visible year-round in the Northern Hemisphere. That's where you should be able to spot the Perseid meteor shower.
What is the best time to watch the Perseids meteor shower?
The best way to watch the Perseid meteor shower is to find a nice, comfortable spot away from city lights. If you can, search for a wide open field or country road one to two miles away from the city — the darker the sky, the more clearly you'll see meteors. The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is from midnight into the predawn hours after the radiant has reached its highest point in the night sky, writes EarthSky.
Astronomical events happening in August 2024, per NASA
If you plan on observing the night sky this month, according to NASA's skywatching tips, keep the following dates in mind for August 2024:
August 11– ThePerseid meteor showerpeaks overnight tonight. Provided you have clear skies, viewing conditions will be favorable this year, as the moon sets by around 11:30 p.m. local time. Meteor activity picks up from then until dawn.
August 14–JupiterandMarshave an extremely close pair-up called a conjunction this morning. They'll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full moon. Find them in the eastern sky in the couple of hours before sunrise.
August 20– The moon chasesSaturnacross the sky tonight. The pair rise in the east shortly after dark and trek toward the west together until dawn.
August 27– This morning the crescent moon joins Mars and Jupiter to form a captivating trio. Look for them in the east in the hour or so before sunrise.
All month– You can use binoculars or a telescope to observe the Lagoon Nebula in the first few hours after dark. It's located in the constellation Sagittarius near the star pattern known as "The Teapot." Similar in size and brightness to the Orion Nebula, it's a cauldron of star formation located about 4,000 light years away.
August is for Astronomy lovers:A rare, seasonal blue moon is coming in August, and the sky has more surprises in store
John Tuftscovers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip atJTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter atJTuftsReports.
Lie on your back looking straight up at the sky to see the show. Avoid looking at your cellphone or other electronic devices. Their bright screen could ruin your night vision. According to NASA, the Perseids can generate between 50 and 100 meteors per hour.
However across Indiana we will be in the 50s Sunday night with very low humidity, so grab the jacket! According to NASA, you may be able to see 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Realistically this may be a bit lower once you factor in moonlight and any slight city light you may have.
The best time to view the shower is after midnight around 2 a.m., when the source of the meteors will be the highest in the northeastern sky, both experts said. “Mother Nature doesn't respect people's sleep,” Cooke joked.
The best time to view the Perseids will be past Midnight and it will become more pronounced as the sky darkens, according to NASA. Additionally, those viewing the shower in remote locations, away from city lights, will have the best chance at a clear view, NASA says.
The Perseids are caused by debris from the Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. As these tiny particles, the size of sand grains, enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up, creating bright streaks of light across the sky.
Lie on your back looking straight up at the sky to see the show. Avoid looking at your cellphone or other electronic devices. Their bright screen could ruin your night vision. According to NASA, the Perseids can generate between 50 and 100 meteors per hour.
The space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggested facing roughly northeast as you lay down, but to try to take in as much of the sky as possible because meteors can appear all over.
For the best possible view, try to get to an area where there are dark skies, away from street lights and where you can get a clear view of the whole night sky. Give your eyes around 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness and either sit or lie down and you should start to see some shooting stars - the meteors.
For the best view, NASA recommends watching during the "dark hours" of the day, which in the UK will be from around midnight to 2am. The meteor shower peaks on the night going into 13 August. If skies are clear, it should be visible across the UK.
So long as the sky is clear, and you're far enough away from light pollution, the meteors can appear anywhere. And the more sky, the better: Find an area with a clear view of the horizon, away from trees and tall buildings. As for how to see the Perseid meteor shower, your naked eye is best.
The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity between 9 and 14 August, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour.
Fortunately, the Perseids stay active — about one-quarter their peak strength — for several days before and a day or two after their peak, and an occasional one may be seen almost anytime during the month of August.
During the evening hours the radiant, the area of the sky where Perseid meteors shoot from, is located low in the northern sky. This is the worst time to try and view the shower for sheer numbers as most of the activity will occur beyond your line of sight, being blocked by the horizon.
With your lens's focus set to infinity, and its aperture to around f/2.8 (or as open as possible), choose ISO 800 or ISO 1600 (or even higher if you're in a really dark sky site) and fix the shutter speed to 25sec. Take the shot, and if you're not happy with result as a stand-alone image, make adjustments and re-take.
She added that the best view of the shower would be in areas that had clear skies and that were away from light pollution. Ms Lee said: “If you do want to spot some meteors, try to go out after midnight, as far from any streetlights as you can, to an area with lots of the sky visible if possible.
While spotting a shooting star is often rare, the Perseids are an exciting meteor shower due to the ample opportunities they give stargazers to spot one (or a few) as they whiz through the cosmos. And in clear viewing conditions, approximately 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour.
This summer, the Perseids will peak the night of Aug. 12 until before dawn on Aug. 13, according to Space.com. In Michigan, afternoon and evening clouds are set to pave way for open skies overnight Monday and Tuesday, providing for good viewing conditions, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake.
Look for clear skies: The main thing preventing hopeful viewers from catching a glimpse of the meteor shower could be clouds. Between midnight and 3 a.m., 20% to 35% of skies above the Chicago area will have clouds, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
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