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The most popular and highly-anticipated meteor shower is back again this summer, and astronomy buffs worldwide are gearing up to watch the spectacle through August. This year’s Perseid meteor shower is projected to occur from July 14th through August 24th, 2024, with the peak anticipated between August 11th and 13th.
SoCal crowds are already surging towards Joshua Tree National Park to view the Perseids. Here in NorCal, stargazers are also gearing up: Oakland’s Chabot Space & Science Center will host a Perseids watch party on the night of August 11th between 11pm-3am, which is when the shower is likely to peak. General admission tickets cost $15.
The shower coincides with some major events in San Francisco including a campaign visit from Kamala Harris and the massive Outside Lands Music Festival. With all the road closures anticipated, perhaps it’s a good opportunity to get out of the city and find a dark sky to watch the spectacle.
NASA and other sources have said that you can see over 100 meteors per hour during the Perseids’ peak. Other sources have estimated about 40-50 meteors per hour visible to the naked eye, which is still an impressive display. The moon will be at about 50% illumination but will set before midnight, meaning we’ll enjoy dark skies for optimal viewing during the Perseids.
How can I watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in the Bay Area?
Anyone hoping to enjoy some local stargazing should try to find a good viewing point with as little light pollution as possible. Find a comfortable spot with an unobstructed view and settle in for the early morning hours, giving yourself a generous grace period for your eyes to adjust. Avoid looking at your phone or any white lights to speed up the process. There’s no need to use binoculars or a telescope, as the streaks of light are visible to the naked eye.
Some popular places to stargaze in the Bay Area include Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, Henry W. Coe State Park in the South Bay, the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Point Reyes National Seashore. Make sure you double-check opening hours for all local parks, and refer to this light pollution map for further inspiration about where to go.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseid meteor shower, which gets its name from the Perseus constellation near the shower’s radiant (point of origin), happens every year in July and August. The first record of this phenomenon dates back to 36 AD, and numerous references to the showers have been recorded throughout the millennia ever since. The Perseids occur as a result of Earth colliding with the Swift-Tuttle comet’s orbital path.
Stargazers consider the Perseids to be the best and most popular meteor shower of the year due to the meteors’ characteristic long “wakes” and impressive frequency.