Astronomers and stargazers should look to the sky from mid-July through late August for the Perseid Meteor Showers. The Perseids, a trail of space debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, will reach their peak on the night of August 12, before dawn on August 13, 2025. This year may be a great year to see the meteor shower because the sky will be dark with a new moon that week. From a dark location you might see 30 to 50 meteors an hour during the peak. A telescope or binoculars are not required, nor recommended, because they magnify a narrow part of the sky. The meteors could be anywhere in the sky, so the best opportunity to see them is to find a place to lay flat with a wide view of the sky. Allow your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.
Named after the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to radiate, the Perseids are known for their fireballs, and considered the best meteor shower of the year. The constellation doesn't rise above the horizon until about 10 pm. Therefore, the best viewing time to see many meteors is late, after midnight, when Perseus constellation is highest in the sky. Before midnight, you may see "earth–grazers", which are long, slow meteor trails close to the horizon.
According to NASA, "Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets come around the sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky."
Most Perseid meteoroids (what they are called while they are in space) are not much larger than a grain of sand. A bright fireball may be caused by a ping-pong ball size particle. They hit Earth's atmosphere at tremendous speeds and ionize the air around them in a flash of light. While they often appear to be very close to you, they are over 100 miles away.
Prepare properly for the event by getting away from city lights, dressing for the weather and comfortable waiting, and bringing a blanket or tarp so you can lay on the ground to look up.
For an interactive Sky Map follow: Perseids Meteor Shower 2026 (timeanddate.com)