2025 Guide Perseid Meteor Shower ☄️
It’s a summer tradition my wife and I look forward to every year. Sometimes the skies light up with streaks, and other times they’re a little quieter. This year comes with a few extra challenges, like a bright moon and more man-made lights, but here’s how you can still catch the best view.
What are the Perseids?
The Perseids are a meteor shower caused by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. As this comet orbits the Sun, it leaves a trail of dust and small rock fragments in its wake. Every August, Earth’s orbit takes us right through this rocky little debris field. When these tiny pieces of rock, often no bigger than a grain of sand, hit our atmosphere at incredibly high speeds, they burn up, creating the bright streaks of light we call meteors.
Enter Night! Grain of Sand!
Off to Never-Never Land!
They are named “Perseids” because they appear to come from the constellation Perseus, which is in the northern part of the sky.
When to Watch in 2025
The 2025 Perseid meteor shower will be active from mid-July to late August, but its peak will occur on the nights of August 12-13. The best time to look is in the pre-dawn hours of August 13th, when the constellation Perseus is highest in the sky.
I’m talking after midnight.
Bad news for geeks, the moon will be a waning gibbous, meaning it will be nearly full (about 80% illuminated) during the peak. The moonlight will act as natural light pollution, washing out all but the brightest meteors. While this will significantly reduce the number of meteors you can see, the Perseids are known for producing some particularly bright meteors.
If you’re lucky, a fireball may gleam through!
How to Get the Best View 👀
You don’t need any special equipment like a telescope or binoculars to see the Perseids. In fact, these would only limit your view of the sky. Instead, follow these simple tips:
Find a dark location. The most important thing is to get away from city lights. The less light pollution, the more meteors you’ll be able to see.
Get comfortable. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair so you can lie back and look up. You’ll want to scan as much of the sky as possible.
Be patient. Your eyes need about 20-30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Allow yourself plenty of time to get settled in before you expect to see many meteors.
THIS IS KEY. Seriously!
Face away from the moon. To reduce the effect of the moonlight, try to position yourself so that a building, a hill, or trees block the moon from your direct line of sight.
Look anywhere in the sky. While the meteors will appear to come from the constellation Perseus, they can be seen streaking across any part of the night sky.
The Takeaway
Do yourself a favor. If you’re an adult, drift back to those childhood days when your invisible friends felt real and the night sky seemed endless. If you’re under 30, see this as a cosmic gift worth protecting, so that future generations can stand where you stand and look up at an unspoiled sky.
And most importantly, stay hype.