Every year, many people try to live this experience of watching the Perseid meteor shower around the world. Sometimes the full moon makes the experience less interesting, such as in 2022 (we had a full moon), however in 2023, we’re going to have great moon conditions for this event: the moon on August 11/12 is going to be 14% illuminated only and it will rise around 1 am.

I’ve been watching and photographing the Perseids since more than 10 years and in this blog post series, I will share couple things that could help you get great photos of them, are you ready!? Let’s go!

1- What is the Perseid meteor shower ?

Perseids are an annual meteor shower that is visible mostly in the north hemisphere that’s because of the shower's radiant in the constellation of Perseus.

The source of Perseids is the Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle which takes 133 years to orbit the Sun once. Swift-Tuttle last reached perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) in 1992 and will return again in 2125.

2- So, what’s a meteor shower ?

Meteor showers occur when the Earth traverses through trails of remnants left behind by comets and asteroids. These trails consist of small debris particles that disperse along the orbit of their parent objects within the solar system.

When these debris particles enter the Earth's atmosphere, they create the phenomenon known as shooting stars which burn up at altitudes ranging from 70 to 100 km.

On specific days of the year, the Earth's orbit intersects dense streams of debris associated with comets or asteroids that have released substantial amounts of solid material into space. This occurrence leads to an annual meteor shower. These showers happen annually when the Earth reaches the precise point in its orbit where it encounters the specific stream of material.

3- Where the name Perseids came from ?

During the peak mornings, if you track the paths of the Perseid meteors in reverse, they appear to originate from the constellation Perseus, located near the well-known Double Cluster. Therefore, the meteor shower is named after the constellation Perseus, paying tribute to the heroic figure.

However, it's important to note that there is no actual association between the radiant point of the meteor shower and the constellation Perseus. The stars in Perseus exist at vast distances measured in light-years, whereas these meteors disintegrate approximately 60 miles (100 km) above the Earth's surface.

4- When can we see the Perseids ?

The best time to watch for meteors is in the early morning hours. According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the meteors will be at their highest point between August 11 and 12. NASA also mentions that the Perseids meteor shower will be active from July 14 to August 24.

The peak viewing days are your best chance to see the sky filled with bright meteors. Simply look up and towards the north to spot them. If you're in southern latitudes, looking towards the northeast will give you a better view of the meteors.

5-Where to go watch the Perseids ?

You want to be somewhere where there is no light pollution specially facing North, because the radiant Perseus is located in the north. So based on that, if you’re located in Montreal I recommend going north towards Tremblant or North East towards Lanaudière and finally East toward Mégantic, because it’s one of the best night sky locations in Quebec.

That’s it for part 1, don’t hesitate to contact me at info@zenderfull.com for any questions.

Next up is part 2, where I will explain more on how to take such photos.

Stay tuned and clear skies ✨

Check out our Perseids 2023 Event