Delta Aquariid, Perseid Meteor Showers Ramp Up: When To Look Up In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — If you find yourself gazing at the skies over Massachusetts early some morning, don’t be surprised if you see shooting stars. The Delta Aquariid and Perseid meteor showers ramble along for weeks, and both are active now.

Here are the dates to know:

• The Delta Aquariids run July 18-Aug. 21. The shower doesn’t have a well-defined peak, but shooting stars usually become more prolific July 30-31. Under a dark sky, you may see 15 or 20 meteors an hour, particularly after 2 a.m.
• The Perseids run July 14-Sept. 1, and always peak around Aug. 11-13. In the predawn hours under a dark sky, it’s possible to see 50-100 shooting stars an hour, including fireballs.

The next week’s weather forecast in Massachusetts calls for clear skies Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Thursday night before 11 p.m. Friday night is expected to be partly cloudy, but there's a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday night. Clear skies are forecast for Sunday and Monday nights.

A nearly full moon on July 30-31 could make the Delta Aquariids a bust. The moon will be about 92 percent full and sets around 2:25 a.m., so plan accordingly if you plan to search the sky for Delta Aquariids meteors, which are known to leave persistent trains of ionized gas that can last for a couple of seconds.

Have patience: The new moon coincides almost perfectly with the Perseid meteor shower peak in mid-August. The Perseids are so bright the waning crescent moon won’t be much of a problem.

NASA calls the Perseids “the best meteor shower of the year.”

“With swift and bright meteors, Perseids frequently leave long ‘wakes’ of light and color behind them as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA explained on its website.

The shower is also known for producing bright fireballs, which NASA explains are “larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.”

In outburst years, the Perseids can produce between 150 and 200 meteors an hour. That last happened in 2016,

The Perseids are most active in the predawn hours, though it’s possible to see them as early as 10 p.m., according to NASA. For the best views, skywatchers should lie flat on their back under a dark sky free of city lights.

If you’re planning ahead for this summertime favorite, one ideal place to go in Massachusetts is the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation in Princeton. This area is about an hour's drive from Boston but is unaffected by the city's light pollution, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club.

If you're looking for even darker skies, the club recommends you go west along Route 2 and south on Route 32 to the Petersham State Forest.