Perseid meteor shower to peak over Canada this weekend

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Canadians can look to the sky this weekend to see the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.

The Perseid meteor shower is active from July 17 to August 24, 2023, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. The best time to watch it will be this weekend, between August 12 and 13.

Luckily for stargazers, the moon will be at 10% illumination during that time, so it should be easier to spot the Perseid meteor shower.

According to Earth Sky, the meteor shower tends to strengthen in numbers late at night and into early morning. It’s best to look to the sky before dawn to catch a glimpse.

You don’t want to miss this! ☄️

It’s time for the annual Perseid meteor shower. Peaking on the night of Aug. 12, people in the U.S. can expect to see around 40 Perseids. All you need to catch the show is a clear sky, darkness, and a bit of patience >> https://t.co/R1LO5KPOo3 pic.twitter.com/ajYzxzvCjq

— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) August 7, 2023

Ideal Perseid meteor shower watching conditions would be under a dark sky with no moon, where skywatchers have frequently reported 90 meteors per hour or more.

According to NASA, if you’re far away from light pollution, you may be able to spot upwards of 40 Perseids an hour. City dwellers will still be able to spot a few meteors per hour.

For the best view of the Perseids, NASA advises finding a comfortable spot and avoiding bright lights — even your phone — for half an hour to give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.

Royal Museums Greenwich says the Perseids are one of the best meteor showers of the year because it “produces bright meteors and is one of the most active.”

“There’s also a high chance of seeing fireballs, which are very bright meteors, as well as meteors with long trains during the Perseid meteor shower,” says the museum.

The Perseids originate from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun once, according to NASA.

There’s no danger to viewers, though. The Perseids are “millimetre-sized dust particles, which enter the atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of 60 kilometres per second,” says Western University.

With files from Sarah Anderson

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