Peaks August 12–13
Next peak: August 12, 2026 · up to ~100 meteors/hour from Perseus.
The most beloved shower of the Northern Hemisphere summer: reliable rates of around 100 fast, bright meteors per hour, a good fraction leaving persistent trains, plus frequent fireballs. The parent comet, 109P/Swift-Tuttle, is the largest object known to repeatedly pass near Earth.
Warm August nights make this the easiest shower to enjoy. Find a dark site, let your eyes adapt for 20 minutes, and watch from after midnight until dawn when Perseus rides high.
You don't need a telescope or binoculars — meteor showers are best enjoyed with the naked eye and the widest view of the sky you can find. Get well away from city lights, give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adapt to the dark, dress warmly, and look up. The meteors can appear anywhere; they only trace back to the radiant in Perseus.
The meteors streak out from the constellation Perseus — find it, and you've found the radiant.
Parent comet
The Perseids are debris shed by 109P/Swift-Tuttle
See the comet that laid down this trail of dust.