Overview

• The Instituto Geográfico Nacional pins the Perseids’ maximum activity at around 22:00 peninsular time on the night of August 12–13.
• A waning gibbous Moon illuminating about 84 percent of its surface is expected to obscure fainter meteors and reduce visible rates to roughly 10–25 per hour in many locations.
• NASA meteoroid expert Bill Cooke says that under ideal dark skies observers might see 40–50 meteors per hour, but this year lunar glare will likely limit counts to 10–20 per hour.
• Advisories from NASA, the American Meteor Society and the Royal Astronomical Society recommend heading to rural dark-sky sites, allowing 20–30 minutes for eye adaptation and avoiding the Moon’s direction.
• If moonlight or clouds interfere on peak night, observers are encouraged to view on the nights before or after August 12–13, as Perseid activity continues through late August.