During the night of August 12–13, residents of Ukraine will be able to observe the peak of one of the year's best-known meteor showers—the Perseids. Conditions will be especially favorable for those wishing to admire the starry sky, as the Perseids' activity coincides with the new moon phase. Therefore, bright moonlight will not interfere with seeing even faint meteors. In favorable weather and far from urban lighting, dozens of meteors from one of the most powerful meteor showers will be visible over the course of an hour that night, reports UNN.
When will the Perseids peak in 2026?
The Perseid meteor shower is active every year approximately from mid-July to the second half of August. In 2026, it can be observed from July 17 to August 24. However, the greatest number of meteors is expected specifically during the night of August 12–13.
According to the forecast of the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the broad maximum of the Perseids in 2026 will occur approximately from 21:00 on August 12 to 09:00 on August 13 Universal Time. The most pronounced peak is forecast for approximately between 02:00 and 04:00 UTC on August 13, or about 05:00–07:00 Kyiv time.
The calculated zenithal hourly rate, or ZHR, for the Perseids is about 100 meteors per hour. At the same time, this figure does not mean that an observer is guaranteed to see a meteor shower of one hundred meteors in 60 minutes. The ZHR is calculated for nearly ideal conditions, when the shower's radiant is high in the sky and clouds, light pollution, and other factors do not interfere with observation. In real conditions outside the city, one can usually expect approximately 30–50 meteors per hour during the peak.
Another feature of the Perseids' activity period in 2026 is the absence of moonlight interference. On August 12, the Moon will be in the new moon phase, so the night sky will be as dark as possible. This will make it possible to see the meteor shower with the naked eye and even film it in photos or videos.
Why is this shower considered one of the most spectacular?
The Perseids are among the most powerful and popular annual meteor showers. NASA calls them one of the year's best meteor showers because of the large number of fast and bright meteors. They often leave noticeable luminous trails that can remain in the sky for some time after the meteor itself has passed.
Perseid particles enter Earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 59 kilometers per second. As a result of colliding with the atmosphere, they heat up sharply, while the surrounding air becomes ionized, creating the characteristic luminous trail that from Earth is perceived as a falling star. In fact, of course, this phenomenon has nothing to do with stars.
Another characteristic feature of the shower is fireballs. This is what especially bright meteors are called; they are more noticeable and brighter than ordinary ones. They occur when relatively large fragments of cometary material enter the atmosphere. It is precisely the combination of high activity, fast meteors, long-lasting luminous trails, and periodic fireballs that makes the Perseids one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomena of August.
Where to look and how best to observe the meteor shower
No telescope, binoculars, or other special equipment is needed to observe the Perseids. On the contrary, optical instruments narrow the field of view, whereas meteors can appear in practically any part of the sky.
It is best to choose an open location away from urban lighting, streetlights, and major roads. After reaching a dark location, the eyes need at least 20–30 minutes to adapt. During this time, it is advisable not to look at a smartphone screen or other bright light sources, as they quickly disrupt the eyes' dark adaptation.
The Perseid radiant—that is, the point from which the meteors appear to visually spread across the sky—is located in the area of the constellation Perseus. However, there is no need to look specifically at Perseus all the time. NASA recommends finding the widest possible view of the sky, sitting or lying down comfortably, and looking upward. The best conditions usually occur after midnight and before dawn, when the radiant rises higher above the horizon.
For Ukraine, the Perseids will be especially bright, because this shower is best observed in the Northern Hemisphere.
Where does the Perseid meteor shower come from?
The source of the Perseids is the periodic comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. It was independently discovered by American astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle in 1862. The comet completes one orbit around the Sun approximately every 133 years. It last passed perihelion in 1992, and its next return is expected in 2125.
As it approaches the Sun, the comet heats up and leaves particles of dust and fragments of material along its orbit. Over time, they stretch out along the orbit into a kind of stream. Every year, Earth passes through this region, and the particles enter the atmosphere at enormous speed and burn up in it.
The connection between the Perseids and Comet Swift–Tuttle was established by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1865. The meteor shower was named not after the comet, but after the constellation Perseus, where its radiant is located. The meteoroids themselves do not fly from Perseus; this is merely a perspective effect, due to which the parallel trajectories of the particles appear to an observer on Earth to originate from a single point in the sky.
We remind you
Earlier, UNN reported why the night of August 13 will be one of the best for astrophotography.