Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Thursday In VA, DC: When, How To Watch

VIRGINIA — After weeks of streaking through the sky over Virginia and DC, the Perseid meteor shower peaks Thursday into Friday, giving stargazers a chance to catch summer's must-see astronomical show.

The Perseids will peak on Thursday night into the early morning hours of Friday. The Perseids have been active for weeks: Skywatchers spotted the first fireballs in late July, according to AccuWeather, and activity will gradually wane through Sept. 1.

According to NASA, the Perseids produce about 50 to 100 meteors an hour at the peak. The shower is produced by the comet 109/P Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862.

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the Perseids, AccuWeather predicts partly cloudy skies Thursday night over Northern Virginia and DC.

The best weather conditions for watching the Perseids will likely be across much of the West Coast, the central Plains, and around the Great Lakes, according to AccuWeather. Breaks in the clouds may allow people across the mid-Atlantic to catch a glimpse of the starry spectacle.

Meanwhile, skywatchers across the Intermountain West, Southeast and the Upper Midwest hoping to witness a shooting star or two might step outside and see only clouds, according to AccuWeather.

Weather aside, the Perseids will have other competition this year. On Aug. 11, the third and final supermoon of 2022 will illuminate the sky, shining all night long amid the peak.

“Sadly, this year’s Perseids peak will see the worst possible circumstances for spotters,” NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said in an agency blog post. “Most of us in North America normally see 50 or 60 meteors per hour, but this year, during the normal peak, the full moon will reduce that to 10-20 per hour at best.”

While it might not be the best year for a memorable trip to see the Perseids, consider watching the skies just before dawn. If that’s not possible, NASA suggests focusing on the darkest spots in the sky where the moon is not visible.

The Perseids are known for their fireballs, which are “larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” NASA said, explaining, “This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material.”

The shower is called the Perseids because its radiant point is near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero.