Delta Aquarids, Perseids: How To Watch Meteor Showers In Pasadena

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most anticipated of the year, overlaps with the Delta Aquarids.

After a dearth of few months, summer meteor showers are firing up, and now is a perfect time to scope out a dark sky near Los Angeles. First up is the Delta Aquarid meteor shower. Consider it a dress rehearsal for the highly anticipated and sky-party worthy Perseid meteor shower. The two showers overlap in early August, and both are already active.

Over the next week, we’re expecting temperatures in the 70s and 80s in the coast, in the upper 80s downtown and high 80s in the valleys.

The Delta Aquarids, which officially started July 12 and run through Aug. 23, favor the Southern Hemisphere, but the show is still visible from mid-northern latitudes. They’ll peak here around July 28, producing around 10 to 20 meteors an hour. An approaching new moon on July 31-Aug. 1, will make for optimum viewing conditions.

The best viewing times are after midnight and before dawn, regardless of your time zones.

Earthsky.org says some of the best places to watch meteor showers near the Los Angeles area are Holcomb Valley Road Trail in Big Bear city thanks to the elevation and total darkness, Joshua Tree National Park, which is often dark and cloudless at night, and the Cleveland National Forest's Palomar Mountain, which has a world class observatory.Los Angeles proper can be hit or miss because of the coastal marine layer. The surrounding mountains and deserts are your best bet.

The Perseids, which began July 17 and last through Aug. 24, will likely produce about 10-15 visible meteors per hour because the moon will be very close to full during the peak dates, from around Aug.11-13.

Earthsky advises those who are serious about seeing meteors not to be daunted. Instead, start watching for the Perseids in the pre-dawn hours from Friday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 11. On those dates, there will be more moon-free viewing time than during the peak dates.

In Los Angeles, the moon sets at 1:12 a.m., 1:58, a.m., 2:42, a.m., 3:32 a.m. and 4:25 a.m., respectively, on Aug. 9, Aug. 10, Aug. 11, Aug. 12 and Aug. 13.

In years without moonlight, the Perseids are visible at much higher rates, and in outburst years, such as 2016, they can fly at a rate of 150-200 meteors an hour.

“Unfortunately, the moon will be very close to full on the night of the peak, which will wash out the fainter Perseids,” NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com.

Still, don’t skip this summertime favorite.

“The Perseids are rich in fireballs, so you'll still see Perseids,” Cooke said. “You just won't see the show you've seen on nights when the moon has not been around.