The Perseids are the kind of summer event that makes you want to cancel plans, drive to the middle of nowhere, and just stare up at the sky until your neck hurts. Most years, they throw dozens of meteors across the sky every hour. This year, though, the full moon is making an appearance and leaving its high beams on.
The shower peaks the night of August 12 into the morning of August 13. Usually, that’s when you’d catch the most action, but the moon will rise almost as soon as the sky darkens. In New York, for example, sunset on the 12th is at 8:27 p.m., and by 10:01 p.m., the moon will be glowing at 84 percent brightness, according to Time and Date. That means no long stretch of true darkness to let your eyes adjust.
Moonlight drowns out the faint meteors, so you’ll mostly see the bold, bright streaks this time. The good news is that the Perseids are strong enough to punch through the glare, so the show isn’t completely cancelled. You might not get the full 75-an-hour experience, but a few will still zip by if the sky is clear.
How to Catch the Perseid Meteor Shower in 2025
The moon will be hanging low in the southern sky, so your best move is to face northeast, toward the constellation Perseus, and keep your back to the glow. It won’t erase the brightness entirely, but it will help.
These meteors are leftovers from Comet Swift-Tuttle, a hulking 16-mile-wide object that last swung through in 1992 and won’t be back until 2125. Earth barrels through its dusty trail every August, and those particles hit our atmosphere at 133,000 miles per hour. That’s what makes the quick streaks you see before they burn out completely.
If you’re willing to trade peak numbers for a darker sky, you could try a night or two after the peak when the moon rises later. Just remember the rates drop quickly after the 12th. This year, the best shot is still to head out during the peak, glare and all.
You might not see dozens of meteors every minute, but you’ll still get that rare, good feeling of looking up at something bigger than whatever’s happening on your phone. That’s worth staying outside for.
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