Skygazers, mid-August will bring your chance to be captivated by the pinnacle of the year’s most popular meteor shower as it streaks over Michigan skies.
The annual Perseids will peak overnight on Aug. 12-13, leaving bursts of light and color up above as meteors whiz by throughout the night over Michigan.
But you don’t have to wait; the Perseid meteor shower is already active, and on a clear night, you can get a closer look at one of Michigan’s dark sky areas.
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Here’s what to know about the Perseids.
When do the Perseids peak?
The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight Aug. 12-13, with a new moon to allow for optimal dark skies for viewing, per Space.com and the University of Arizona’s College of Science Lunar & Planetary Laboratory’s Catalina Sky Survey.
The Perseids are active from July 17 to Aug. 24.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseids is a strong, fast meteor shower featuring about 50 to 100 meteors per hour, per NASA. Bright meteors and fireballs, very bright meteors, frequently streak across the night sky, creating a path of light and color overhead.
The meteors appear to come from the area of the constellation Perseus in the sky, NASA says, though the meteors can be seen in any part of the night sky, per the American Meteor Society.
How can you see the Perseids in Michigan?
To ensure the best chance of viewing this meteor shower, here are a few things the American Meteor Society, USA TODAY, BBC Sky at Night Magazine and Space.com recommend:
What causes the Perseids?
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through dusty debris trails left by comets and broken asteroid bits as they orbit the sun, NASA says. The debris collides with Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.
The meteors in the Perseid meteor shower come from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, a large comet discovered by American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle in 1862, per NASA. Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli uncovered the comet as the source of the Perseids in 1865.
When is the best time to view the Perseids?
The best time to watch the Perseids in the Northern Hemisphere is in the predawn hours, though meteors may be visible as early as 10 p.m., the space agency says.
Where can you watch the Perseids in Michigan?
Look for a clear, open area to view the meteors in Michigan’s skies. Keep an eye on the weather forecast closer to the peak to find out local viewing chances.
Michigan is home to six dark sky state parks, three international dark sky parks and an international dark sky sanctuary.
How did the Perseid meteor shower get its name?
The name Perseid meteor shower, or Perseids, comes from the Greek Perseidai, or sons of Perseus, referring to Greek mythology, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Meteor, meteorites, meteoroids — which is it?
Those are words that sound similar, but there are important differences.
When is the next meteor shower in 2026?
The Orionids will be active Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, peaking Oct. 21-22, per the American Meteor Society.
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Want to see a meteor shower? When Perseids will peak
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jenna Prestininzi, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
