Summer is a wonderful season. It’s warm, people travel more, and, in 2021, the Perseid meteor shower will put on a great display. We encourage you to head to a dark observing site and enjoy the show, which peaks in the middle of the week.
Perseid meteors create long, bright streaks at night that are easily visible to the naked eye. In fact, I’d recommend leaving your telescope at home, as using one will limit your view so much that chances are slim you’ll see a meteor through it. Binoculars, on the other hand, take in more of the sky. While you shouldn’t watch the shower through them, they will make any smoke trails left by bright meteors easier to see.
In 2021, the Perseids peak midday on Aug. 12 in the U.S. The best time to view them will be either Wednesday night the 11th through Thursday morning the 12th, or Thursday night the 12th through Friday morning the 13th. The Moon, which is the determining factor in how great a show each year’s Perseids will put on, will be a thin crescent only three to four days past New, so it will set in the early evening, before the main event begins.