The Perseid meteor shower, an annual celestial event, will reach its peak overnight on Saturday, August 12. This year, skywatchers can enjoy the spectacle from the comfort of their own homes.
For a breathtaking view of the Perseids’ peak, the Virtual Telescope Project located in Manciano, Italy, will provide a live stream using its all-sky camera. With the remote region’s dark skies, viewers can witness the famous Perseid meteors.
“We are excited to announce that we will be covering the Perseid meteor shower and streaming it live on the night of its peak!” said Gianluca Masi, founder and astronomer of the Virtual Telescope Project. “The sky conditions will be optimal this year, with minimal interference from the moon. We will be capturing images from our facility in Manciano, located in the Maremma countryside, which offers some of the darkest skies in Italy.”
The live stream, available for free, will begin at 9:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday (01:30 GMT on Sunday), coinciding with the meteor shower’s peak. Viewers can watch the livestream on Space.com through the Virtual Telescope Project’s WebTV page or YouTube channel.
Related: Meteor showers 2023: When is the next one?
The Perseid meteor shower takes place between July 17 and August 24, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. This annual event is highly anticipated by meteor enthusiasts around the world, as it produces up to 100 meteors per hour and presents dazzling fireballs and impressive shooting star displays.
The Perseids get their name from the radiant point, which appears to originate from the constellation Perseus.
These meteors originate from the debris cloud left by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in the inner solar system. As Earth orbits the sun, it passes through this cloud, leading to the annual Perseid meteor shower. When these fragments enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 130,000 mph (209,000 kph), they cause the air in front of them to compress and heat up to thousands of degrees, resulting in spectacular fireballs and luminous trails.
If you’re interested in observing the Perseids meteor shower firsthand, we recommend starting with our guides to the best telescopes and binoculars.
For photography enthusiasts, we also provide a comprehensive guide on how to photograph meteor showers, along with recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you capture an image of the Perseid meteor shower and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, please send your photo(s), comments, name, and location to [email protected].
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