Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight In Florida

TAMPA, FL — The Perseids — the biggest show of the summer meteor showers — are expected to put on a dazzling show tonight, Aug. 12-13, in the skies over Florida. While the Perseids have been visible since July 17 and will continue through Aug. 24, Monday night is the peak and up to 100 meteors per hour will be visible.

"The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the Northern Hemisphere," the American Meteor Society (AMS) explained on their website.
The Perseids, produced by the comet Swift-Tuttle, radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky. The best viewing times are after midnight.

"Up to 100 meteors per hour will occur during the peak night," AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.

However, this year the moon is likely to play a role in the number of shooting stars visible on the peak night. The nearly full moon will shine brightly all night long, making it difficult to see many of the dimmer meteors, said AccuWeather.

In showers 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.

The skies over both the Tampa and Miami regions will not be good for star-gazing. The National Weather Service for the area calls for mostly cloudy conditions with a 30 percent chance of rain.

SEE ALSO: 2019 Guide To Meteor Showers, Other Celestial Events

If you miss the peak night, there will still be plenty of meteors in the next week or so.

Tips on how to watch:

Find a dark, open sky. Be patient. It'll take your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and set aside at least an hour to view them. They can come in spurts, and there can be a lull between shooting stars. Bring along a blanket or reclining lawn chair and settle in to enjoy the show.

And though the meteor shower is most visible after midnight, skywatchers may see a sprinkling of meteors from mid-to-late evening.

A rare earthgrazer — a long, slow, colorful meteor along the horizon — is also possible during the evening. According to Earthsky, Perseid earthgrazers occur before midnight because the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.

Patch staffer Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.