Every August, the Earth’s night are illuminated by the Perseids, the most anticipated meteor shower, hailed by NASA as “the best” in the world due to it’s overwhelming number of bright meteors.
Unfortunately, this 2025 the peak of Perseids - the nights of August 12 and 13 - coincides with a waning gibbous Moon, which will brighten the skies making it more difficult for skywatchers to see the meteors.
A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. (Photo by Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
“The average person under dark skies could see somewhere between 40 and 50 Perseids per hour,” said Bill Cooke, lead for NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office. “Instead, you’re probably going to see 10 to 20 per hour or fewer, and that’s because we have a bright Moon in the sky washing out the fainter meteors.”, he added.
Nevertheless, NASA doesn’t want you to give up if you want to enjoy the spectacle of Perseids. The space agency has an advice that will help you admire the meteor shower, even when the moon will make it harder.
The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift–Tuttle that are usually visible from mid-July to late-August. (Photo by NASA/Preston Dyches)
The Perseids show up throughout the nighttime hours. NASA says the best chance to see the meteros will be between midnight and dawn. “Even more specifically, 2 and 3 a.m. local time”, the agency indicates.
It’s important to look for a rural spot with a wide view of the sky. According to NASA if you can see plenty of stars, you have more chances of seeing the Perseids. But you have to remember “look anywhere but at the Moon”.
