For stargazers, the Perseid meteor shower may just be the highlight of the summer.
With its whizzing bright meteors that leave long wakes of light and color behind, there’s a reason the Perseids are considered the best of the year.
The Geminids in December may be one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers, but the Perseid meteor shower has a couple things going for it: Not only is it one of the “most plentiful” showers, according to NASA, but it peaks in the summertime, rather than the colder months.
What’s more, many of the Perseid meteors are explosive fireballs that can persist even longer than an average meteor streak. In a boon for skywatchers, they’ll also be active at the same time as two other meteor showers.
Now that the Perseids are about to become active in 2026, here’s everything to know about the famous meteor shower and how to see it in California.
When is the Perseid meteor shower active in 2026?
The Perseid meteor shower is due to be active in 2026 between Friday, July 17 and Aug. 24, according to the American Meteor Society.
When is the Perseids’ peak activity?
The Perseids meteors will hit their peak activity between Aug. 12-13 as Earth passes through the densest part of the associated comet’s cosmic debris.
Photos of the Perseid meteor shower
How many meteors will be visible? What to know about fireballs
Observed under dark skies, the Perseids can produce anywhere from 25 to 100 meteors in an hour that whiz at up to 37 miles per second, according to NASA.
Because the meteor shower originated from larger comet material, the Perseids are also known for producing bright explosions of light known as fireballs that persist longer than a typical meteor streak.
Where are the best places to see meteor showers in California? Dark sky locations
The Perseid meteor shower is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes California and the rest of the United States.
Want to try to catch the meteor shower before it peaks? Spectators will have the best luck at dark sky locations on cloud-free nights and away from city light pollution.
To find a dark area near you, turn to DarkSky International. The U.S nonprofit maintains a list of designated dark sky communities around the world, including 176 in the United States.
That includes these locations in California:
What time are the meteor showers visible in California?
In general, the best time to see meteors is between midnight and dawn.
The Perseids, though, have also been known to appear as early as 10 p.m. local time, according to NASA.
Visit the website Time and Date to find the best times and viewing directions for your location.
When, how to see meteor showers. Viewing tips
Here are some general viewing tips that NASA often provides before a meteor shower becomes active.
What are meteor showers? Here’s what causes ‘shooting stars’
Named after star constellations, meteor showers occur when Earth passes through dusty debris trails left behind by comets and other space objects as they orbit the sun.
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA. Those streaks, colloquially known as “shooting stars,” are meteors no larger than the size of a pea that burn up in the atmosphere, NASA explains.
Meteor showers occur on a predictable schedule each year, with some lasting for mere days and others stretching on for weeks. But a meteor shower is at its best when the Earth passes through the densest part of the associated cosmic debris, otherwise known as the shower’s peak activity.
What causes the Perseids meteor shower?
Originating from the constellation Perseus, the Perseids are made up of leftover particles from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
Every year, Earth passes through the comet’s debris trail, resulting in the Perseid meteor shower when the broken bits of Swift-Tuttle disintegrates in our atmosphere at high speed, according to NASA.
Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 Earth years just to orbit the sun a single time, was discovered to be the source of the Perseids in 1865 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. Discovered in 1862, Swift-Tuttle is absolutely gargantuan – twice the size of the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Swift-Tuttle has not visited our inner solar system since 1992 and won’t be back again until 2125, according to the nonprofit Planetary Society.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: One of year’s best meteor showers is about to be visible in California
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
