‘Perfect Year For Meteor Showers’ – Why 2024 Is So Special

Each year starting in Mid-July, the cosmos gives us quite the light show. The Perseids Meteor shower happens when debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle enters the earth's atmosphere, burning up in the atmosphere. This creates quite the meteor shower, and this year is extra special.

What Makes the 2024 Perseids Meteor Shower Special?

For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the timing will be just right to see the peak of the meteor shower with the best sky possible. That is if the weather holds out. The moon will be setting in the sky just before midnight on the peak days of Perseids. That means the sky will be darker and meteors will be easier to spot. According to Wild Hunt, this makes 2024 one of the best years to watch the meteor shower. The phases of the moon don't often align in such a fortunate way.

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What are the peak days for viewing?

The best nights to view the meteors will be August 11, 12, and 13th. However, the meteor shower is already happening and will continue until September 1.

Where do you look to see them?

The meteor showers got their name from the constellation Perseus, because they appear to come from that direction. That's Northeast in the sky for most of us, but the showers happen all over the sky, so don't focus on just one area.

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What's the best time to spot them?

The shower will be most visible in the early morning hours before dawn. At it's peak you can expect to see over 50 shooting stars, and maybe up to 90 by the time the sun comes up.