For Northern Hemisphere observers, August is normally considered “meteor month” with among the best shows of the yr reaching its peak close to midmonth. That show is, in fact, the annual Perseid meteor bathe beloved by everybody from meteor lovers to summer season campers. However sky watchers beware: you can be dealing with a serious impediment in your try to look at this yr’s Perseid efficiency, specifically, the moon.
Sadly, as luck would have it, 2025 will see the moon flip full on Aug. 9 and might be at a quite brilliant waning gibbous part just a few nights later, severely hampering commentary of the height of the Perseids, predicted to happen for the in a single day hours of Monday Aug. 11, into the predawn hours of Tuesday morning, Aug. 12.
In actual fact, a waning gibbous is simply in regards to the worst moon phase for meteor observing.
The moon might be 89% illuminated and hovering under the Nice Sq. of Pegasus and to the higher proper of the planet Saturn that night time, and never all that removed from the constellation Perseus, from the place the meteors will seem to dart from (therefore the title “Perseid”). As such, brilliant moonlight will flood the sky by means of most of that key night time and will definitely play havoc with any severe makes an attempt to look at these meteors. So, sadly, the moon intervenes to spoil the Perseids’ finest, even when we get clear skies.
A 1968 redux?
Again in 1968, when the Perseids had been at their peak, the moon was on the similar part it is going to be this yr. To get an concept of what sort of exercise occurred in that yr — and what is perhaps anticipated for this yr — New York’s Hayden Planetarium sponsored a meteor watch on the Nice Garden in Central Park. “Esthetically in addition to astronomically, the night time appeared good,” wrote a reporter for The New York Occasions. Dr. Kenneth L. Franklin, assistant chairman of the Planetarium advised an viewers of 85 sky watchers the meteors would come “on the fee of 1 each minute or two, however with the intense moon perhaps it is going to be on the order of 1 each minute or three.” However in keeping with the reporter for The Occasions, “It was on the order of 1 each minute or eight.”
High quality versus amount
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Moonlight, nonetheless, solely hides faint meteors. However a good variety of Perseids are usually quick, brilliant and sometimes depart persistent trains. Such brilliant, streaky Perseids can burn proper by means of a moonlit sky. Notes Man Ottewell in his widespread annual publication Astronomical Calendar 2025: “Perseid meteors are swift, which helps to tell apart them from the far much less quite a few Aquarids and Capricornids of the identical time. Many are brilliant; white, yellow, inexperienced, pink, orange; depart spectacular long-lasting trains; finish in flares.”
And each now and again, an outstandingly brilliant Perseid fireball will blaze forth, brilliant sufficient to be very spectacular and greater than able to attracting consideration even in brilliant moonlight. So, should you’re keen to forego amount, a meteor watch within the moonlight would possibly nonetheless provide high quality.
Much more unlucky, as a result of the moon is full on Aug. 9, means that it’ll all the time be above the horizon in the course of the predawn morning hours (when Perseid viewing is all the time at its finest) even within the few days earlier than the height. Which implies that even the gradual enhance within the bathe might be spoiled by moonlight. The moon arrives eventually quarter on Aug. 16 and thereafter its gentle turns into a lot much less objectionable, however by that point the height of the show has lengthy since handed, leaving only some lingering Perseid stragglers in its wake.
Lively since mid-July
The Perseids are already round, having been energetic solely in a really weak and scattered kind since round July 17. However a noticeable upswing in Perseid exercise begins in the course of the second week of August, main as much as their peak night time.
As all the time, the most effective time to look at for Perseids is from 11 p.m. or midnight straight on till the primary gentle of daybreak. The meteors will seem anyplace within the sky, so simply organize to look at the sky in a course the place the moon does not get in your eyes.
Within the absence of moonlight, a single observer would possibly see 45 to 90 meteors per hour on the height night time, a quantity that sadly can’t be hoped to be approached in 2025.
Significantly better viewing subsequent yr
However in 2026, it is going to be a a lot totally different story, as the height night time will coincide with a brand new moon (and a solar eclipse!), which means that skies might be darkish and meteors plentiful.
As they used to say in Brooklyn, when the Dodgers used to play at outdated Ebbets Subject: “Simply wait until subsequent yr!”
Within the meantime, clear skies late on Monday night time and sufficient private stamina to remain awake ought to afford a view of a least just a few celestial streakers, courtesy of one of many flashiest meteor showers of the yr. And do not forget to search for the eye-catching conjunction of Jupiter and Venus low within the east-northeast sky just a few hours earlier than dawn; a becoming “comfort prize” to go together with the moonlit Perseids of 2025.
Good luck!
Joe Rao serves as an teacher and visitor lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and different publications.