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Perseids Peak Aug 12-13 2026: New Moon Sparks 100-Meteors-Hour Show

7/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

U.S. observers will see the Perseid meteor shower peak on the night of August 12-13 2026 under a new moon.
The shower runs July 17–August 24, with NASA forecasting 50-100 meteors per hour and up to 150 under ideal conditions.
Best viewing after midnight to about 5:30 a.m. requires observers to choose dark sites away from city lights.
Because telescopes or binoculars limit the view, a wide unobstructed field of vision is recommended.

History

Historical Context

In November 1833 the Leonid meteor storm lit the eastern United States, with Harvard observers counting more than 100,000 meteors per hour and Denison Olmsted publishing a scientific analysis in January 1834. The spectacle shifted public view of meteors from atmospheric oddities to space-borne dust, a change that guided later comet-meteor research.

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Story summary

U.S. observers will see the Perseid meteor shower peak on the night of August 12-13 2026 under a new moon.
The shower runs July 17–August 24, with NASA forecasting 50-100 meteors per hour and up to 150 under ideal conditions.
Best viewing after midnight to about 5:30 a.m. requires observers to choose dark sites away from city lights.
Because telescopes or binoculars limit the view, a wide unobstructed field of vision is recommended.

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