The roughly month-long Perseid Meteor Shower is expected to peak on the night of August 11, with a good chance of spotting multiple meteors both before and after the height of this annual stellar event.
Known as one of the most popular meteor showers for both expert and amateur astronomers, the summertime Perseid Meteor Shower can produce up to 60 meteors per hour during the peak timeframe, and during some years, can even produce up to 100 meteors per hour or more.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year from about July 23 to August 22, but it reaches the peak timeframe around August 11-12, when Earth travels through the densest and dustiest part of this debris.
Although the moon will be 50% illuminated during the peak of the Perseids in 2024, it will set around midnight, providing dark skies until dawn — ideal conditions for meteor watching.
In years without moonlight, the meteor rate is visibly higher, and during outburst years (such as in 2016), the rate can reach 150-200 meteors per hour. Although the Perseids occur every year, there’s already anticipation for a potential Perseid meteor storm in 2028, so be sure to mark your calendars well ahead of time.
Locally, the Eastern N.C. forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms or partly skies through Tuesday, August 13, so viewing conditions along the Outer Banks shoreline could be decent.
For more information on the Perseid Meteor Shower, as well as other night sky highlights for August, click here.
