2019 Perseids Meteor Shower
Get out in the open, away from city lights to see the annual Perseids Meteor Shower, the most beloved meteor shower of the year for the Northern Hemisphere.
The annual Perseids meteor shower is the glittery result of Earth’s passage through a stream of debris left behind by a comet, so you should expect to see 50 meteors per hour – as long as you are away from light pollution and the clouds stay away. In 2019 though, the bright moon may make the meteors more difficult to see.
2019 Perseids Meteor Shower
Early mornings August 11-13, 2019 | Midnight to dawn
Predicted Peak: Late late Monday night – August 12-13
NASA’s recommendation: August 11 after 3 am after moonset (but before dawn) for darkest skiesCan I only watch the peak? Nope! Although the peaks are the best times (as long as there’s no moonlight), annual meteor showers typically last weeks, not days… building up gradually and then falling off rapidly. You can definitely catch them in advance.
The Perseids are best seen between about 2 am and dawn. On the night of the August 11th, the (too-bright) Moon will set around 3 am, giving you the best chance to catch the shower with an hour of dark sky before sunrise.
Why is this meteor shower one of the favorites? It’s a rich meteor shower, and it’s steady. These meteors frequently leave persistent trains.
Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn.
The Best Places to Watch in the Bay Area? For the best viewing, make sure you get away from city lights. 7×7 has a great write up of the best places in the Bay Area for stargazing including Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park, Lands End in San Francisco, Mt. Hamilton in San Jose, the Chabot Space Center in Oakland (which has free telescope stargazing events on most Fridays and Saturdays) and many others.
Read more at earthsky.org
