Catch the Dazzling Perseid Meteor Shower This Summer!
WHO:
AP News - Zach Vanderbosch, astronomer with McDonald Observatory, stated, “We don’t have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors.”
AP News - Aparna Venkatesan, astronomer with the University of San Francisco, remarked, “The moon is beautiful, but it’s such a diva.”
AP News - Zach Vanderbosch, astronomer with McDonald Observatory in Texas
AP News - Aparna Venkatesan, astronomer with the University of San Francisco
WHAT:
AP News - The Perseids are expected to produce brilliant fireballs, making them a perennial favorite among meteor showers.
AP News - The meteor shower’s peak coincides with a six-planet parade, with the best time to view the meteors coming after totality of the solar eclipse.
AP News - The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids’ peak, enhancing viewing conditions.
AP News - Observations of the Perseid meteor shower date back over 2,000 years.
AP News - The Perseid meteor shower is expected to produce as many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, according to NASA.
AP News - The American Meteor Society estimates that 30 to 50 meteors per hour could be seen from rural regions.
AP News - The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years.
WHERE:
KATU - OMSI is hosting its Perseid Meteor Shower Watch on August 12 at both the L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon, sponsored by OMSI, Rose City Astronomers, and Oregon Parks and Recreations.
KATU - NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will host a meteor shower watch party on their YouTube channel on August 12 at 9 p.m. PDT.
KATU - OMSI is hosting its Perseid Meteor Shower Watch on August 12 at both the L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon.
KATU - NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will host a meteor shower watch party on their YouTube channel on August 12 at 9 p.m. PDT.
AP News - Viewing conditions for the Perseid meteor shower are especially promising for the Northern Hemisphere.
AP News - The best views of the meteors will be between midnight and dawn when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky.
WHEN:
KATU - The new moon phase begins on August 12, where the moon will be positioned between the Earth and the sun, resulting in limited visibility of the moon.
KATU - The best time to see the Perseids is overnight on August 12-13.
KATU - The new moon phase begins on August 12, where the moon will be positioned between the Earth and the sun, resulting in limited visibility of the moon.
AP News - The peak of the Perseid meteor shower will occur Wednesday night into Thursday morning, coinciding with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland, and Greenland.
WHY:
AP News - Meteor showers happen at predictable times every year when the Earth passes through trails of debris left behind by comets and asteroids.
HOW:
AP News - To enhance viewing, viewers are advised to avoid looking at their phones while watching for meteors.
AP News - Astronomer Aparna Venkatesan plans to drive to the Sierra Nevada to view the meteors.
AP News - To spot the meteors, viewers are advised to go outside after dark, away from clouds and city lights, and to allow their eyes a half hour to adjust to the darkness.
AP News - Vanderbosch recommends focusing on a patch of sky until a meteor passes by and avoiding looking at phones to enhance the viewing experience.
(UPDATED August 10, 2026 07:21 UTC)
OMSI is inviting everyone to its Perseid Meteor Shower Watch on August 12 at both L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon, with support from Rose City Astronomers and Oregon Parks and Recreation. On the same day, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will host a meteor shower watch party on their YouTube channel at 9 p.m. PDT, coinciding with the new moon phase that begins that day, which will limit visibility of the moon.
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(UPDATED August 10, 2026 05:20 UTC)
The best time to catch the stunning Perseid meteor shower will be overnight on August 12-13, coinciding with the new moon phase that begins on August 12, which will limit the moon's visibility. In Oregon, OMSI is hosting a Perseid Meteor Shower Watch at both L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and Rooster Rock State Park on that same date. Additionally, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will hold a meteor shower watch party on their YouTube channel at 9 p.m. PDT on August 12.
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(UPDATED August 10, 2026 01:21 UTC)
The Perseids meteor shower is set to dazzle skywatchers with brilliant fireballs, making it a perennial favorite among meteor enthusiasts. Zach Vanderbosch from McDonald Observatory noted that you don’t have to endure a cold winter night to enjoy this spectacular display, while Aparna Venkatesan from the University of San Francisco humorously described the moon as a beautiful but demanding diva. To make the most of the experience, viewers are encouraged to avoid looking at their phones while they search for meteors in the night sky.
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(UPDATED August 9, 2026 20:04 UTC)
The upcoming Perseid meteor shower is set to peak during a spectacular six-planet parade, with the best viewing conditions occurring after the totality of an anticipated solar eclipse. This year, the moon will be in its new moon phase during the shower's peak, which will further enhance visibility for stargazers. Astronomer Aparna Venkatesan has plans to head to the Sierra Nevada to catch this celestial event, which has been observed for over 2,000 years.
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(UPDATED August 9, 2026 16:05 UTC)
The Perseid meteor shower is set to peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning, coinciding with a total solar eclipse visible across Spain, Iceland, and Greenland. Under ideal conditions, NASA predicts that viewers could see between 50 to 100 meteors per hour, while the American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour from rural areas, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. To get the best experience, astronomers recommend finding a dark spot after dark, allowing your eyes to adjust, and focusing on a patch of sky to catch the meteors as they streak by.