Considered one of the strongest and brightest meteor showers, the Perseids occur from mid-July to late August as Earth passes through a trail of icy debris left behind by a comet, Weather Network meteorologist Scott Sutherland wrote Friday. While the meteor shower is expected to peak on the nights of August 12 and 13, Sutherland says the light from the near-full moon on August 11 “will still wash out all but the brightest meteors.” “Instead, get out this weekend to see the meteor shower because the view will get worse and worse next week because of the moon,” he said. The meteor shower is named after the constellation Perseus from which the meteors appear to fall. The Canadian Space Agency says as many as 50 to 80 meteors can pass through the night sky per hour during the peak of the Perseids. But right now, Sutherland says the meteor shower can produce 20 to 30 meteors an hour. He says, along with the full moon, artificial light from street lights, road signs and vehicles can also make the meteor shower difficult to see. The moon will set late each night, meaning viewers will have to stay up later and later to catch the moonless spots of the evening as each day passes, Sutherland says. He advises astrologers to move away from nearby cities to find the best viewing spots away from any light pollution. How well you can see the meteor shower will also depend on whether the skies are clear, he says, adding that viewers should give themselves at least 20 minutes to adjust their eyes to the dark for the best meteor viewing. It also helps to avoid looking at your phone. “Once you make sure you have clear skies and limit your exposure to light pollution, that’s where patience comes in,” Sutherland said. “Note that this – more than anything else – is probably the single most frustrating thing about watching a meteor shower.”
