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Perseid Meteor Peak Aug 12-13, New England Partial Eclipse

8/11/2026

43 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

U.S. viewers will see the Perseid meteor shower peak Aug. 12 into Aug. 13, with NASA estimating 50-100 meteors per hour.
The peak coincides with a new moon, creating dark skies for optimal viewing.
John Gianforte of New Hampshire Observatory recommends watching after midnight and before dawn.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in New England from 1:01 p.m. to before 3 p.m., covering about 16 percent of the Sun.

History

Historical Context

On 12–13 November 1833 the Leonid meteor storm illuminated the United States and Europe, with observers recording more than 100,000 meteors per hour. The spectacle forced scientists such as Denison Olmsted to reject the idea that meteors were atmospheric, paving the way for later identification of comet Tempel-Tuttle as the shower’s source and for modern prediction programs.

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Story summary

U.S. viewers will see the Perseid meteor shower peak Aug. 12 into Aug. 13, with NASA estimating 50-100 meteors per hour.
The peak coincides with a new moon, creating dark skies for optimal viewing.
John Gianforte of New Hampshire Observatory recommends watching after midnight and before dawn.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in New England from 1:01 p.m. to before 3 p.m., covering about 16 percent of the Sun.

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