Best Ways to Observe Meteor Showers

On a clear night, away from urban light pollution, you might catch a mesmerizing meteor streaking across the sky.

Yet, during specific times each year, skywatchers are treated to a grander spectacle—meteor showers—where the night sky becomes a canvas for numerous meteors blazing through the darkness.

Meteor showers happen when Earth intersects with debris trails left by comets or asteroids orbiting the sun. As these particles enter our atmosphere, they incandesce, creating brilliant light trails.

These showers occur with regularity due to the predictable nature of orbital mechanics, although their visibility can be affected by the moon’s phase.

The coming year looks promising for meteor enthusiasts. Major meteor showers, including the summer Perseids and the winter Geminids, are expected to reach their peak during periods when the moon is either waning or absent, ensuring minimal interference with the display.

Observers outside the U.S. might also have the chance to see the Andromedids, a once-dormant shower that exhibited renewed activity in 2011 and might reappear this year.

To stay updated on these celestial events, you can subscribe to the Times Space and Astronomy Calendar.

How to View a Meteor Shower

For the best viewing experience, venture to a location far from artificial light. Those in rural areas might simply step outside, while city dwellers should explore local astronomical societies that often have designated dark sky locations.

“Contacting these societies to find their dark sky sites is advisable,” said Robert Lunsford, secretary general of the International Meteor Organization, in a 2022 New York Times interview.

Meteor showers are best observed after midnight and before dawn, when the sky is darkest. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the low light before lying back and taking in a wide view of the sky.

Clear nights, higher altitudes, and minimal moonlight will improve visibility. Lunsford suggests: “The more stars visible, the more meteors you’re likely to see.”

Binoculars or telescopes are not necessary for viewing meteor showers and can actually narrow your field of vision.

Formation of Meteor Showers

Meteor showers reach their peak on specific dates when Earth passes through the densest part of the debris field, although meteors may still be visible before or after the peak night.

Each shower is named for the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate. However, understanding constellations is not essential; meteors will be visible across the sky throughout the shower.