Spectacular Perseid Meteor Shower – Mid July through late August

Description

The Perseid Meteor Show begins in mid-July and continues through late August.  The peak is predicted for August 12, so your best bet for viewing the spectacular phenomena will be between August 9 to 13.

The best viewing hours are a little before midnight to dawn, however, you will see the most meteors just before dawn when the radiant is high in the sky; the meteors can be anywhere in the sky, so don’t just stare toward the radiant point.

There are many places to view the meteor show:  Tonopah Stargazing Park, Great Basin National Park, Lamoille Canyon and the Ruby Mountains, Black Rock Desert plus the Basin and Range National Monument; there’s even a Perseids Meteor Show Party Aug 9 – 12 at Perseids Starcamp near Lovelock.  No matter what location, choose one that is far away from city lights.

Under dark skies, with no moon, skywatchers frequently report 90 meteors per hour, or more.  The colorful meteors often leave persistent trains.  Although you don’t need special equipment to see the Perseids, long-exposure camera setups, telescopes and dark sky charts and apps can be very helpful.  Be sure to practice with your equipment before heading out and make sure your batteries are charged.  It can be challenging setting up in the dark and you don’t want to disturb other viewers around you with bright lights.

For more information about stargazing and Tonopah’s Clair Blackburn Memorial Star Gazing Park, click on the Tonopah thumbnail on the Home page or Destinations page on Travel Time NV’s website, https://www.traveltimenv.com, or, visit https://www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html