Perseid meteor shower to peak August 11-13: Joshua Tree prepares for crowds of stargazers

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. - The annual Perseid meteor shower, often hailed as the best meteor shower of the year, is set to peak between Saturday and Monday, August 11 and 13. Ahead of the event, officials at Joshua Tree National Park are advising local businesses to prepare for a significant influx of visitors, reminiscent of last year when thousands of stargazers gathered in the park on a single night.

The Perseid meteor shower, known for its swift and bright meteors, frequently leaves long "wakes" of light and color as the meteors streak through Earth's atmosphere. This year, viewers can expect to see about 50 to 100 meteors per hour during the peak. The Perseids occur during the warm summer months, making it comfortable for sky watchers to view the event. Additionally, the shower is noted for its fireballs, larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak due to their origin from larger particles of cometary material.

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For optimal viewing, it is recommended to find a dark location away from city lights and start watching from 10 p.m. until the pre-dawn hours. The shower is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during these pre-dawn hours, although meteors can sometimes be seen as early as 10 p.m.

The meteors in the Perseid shower come from the debris trail left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the Sun, according to NASA. This comet was discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, and it last visited the inner solar system in 1992. The nucleus of Swift-Tuttle is 16 miles across, nearly twice the size of the object believed to have caused the demise of the dinosaurs. The radiant, or the point in the sky from which the Perseids appear to come, is the constellation Perseus, giving the shower its name.

Joshua Tree National Park, known for its minimal light pollution and expansive skies, is a popular spot for stargazing and is preparing to welcome many visitors. The park's officials are advising local businesses to gear up for the event, as last year's meteor shower attracted a large crowd of stargazers.