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Those who enjoy skygazing will see two events collide later this week: A supermoon will compete with the Perseid meteor shower to light up the night.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseid meteor shower will peak Thursday night into early Friday, although it has been active for weeks with stargazers spotting the Perseids already at the end of July.
Meteor activity will continue to increase through Thursday, with its peak coinciding with a full supermoon. The moon will rise as the sun sets on Thursday, and its light will wash out many of the fainter meteors, significantly reducing the number of shooting stars to 10 to 20 per hour “at best,” according to NASA.
This will be the last supermoon in this year’s trilogy; the last two were in June and July. It is expected to appear larger and brighter than the normal moon and won’t be seen again until July 2023.
“Despite the full moon in the sky during the night of peak activity, meteor rates will still be better than 95% of the other nights this year,” the AMS said. “The more stars you can see, the more meteors will also be visible. No matter what time of night, the Perseid meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky.”
For the best chances, observers should look in the darkest areas of the sky without the moon in sight.
According to Accuweather, people anticipate the Perseids not only because of the 60 to 100 meteors per hour it brings, but because it peaks in late summer. Mild August nights are more likely to be cloudless than winter and spring nights, when it’s colder and often cloudier.
The best weather conditions for viewing the Perseids and the supermoon are expected along much of the West Coast, the Central Plains, and around the Great Lakes.
Accuweather forecast some clouds and sun for the day Thursday, with a high of 81 degrees in Detroit. During the evening, skies are expected to clear with temperatures dropping to a low of 57 degrees.
After the Perseids pass, the next moderate meteor shower won’t happen until late October. The mid-autumn Oronids don’t produce nearly as many shooting stars as the Perseids, but it’s still one of the best fall meteor showers.
Video: ESA’s meteorite camera captures Perseid showers
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Citation: Meteor shower, supermoon will light up Thursday’s night sky, but that’s a problem (2022, August 10) Retrieved August 10, 2022, from
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