Stargazing 10 July 2025 - 19 August 2025

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks: The famous Perseid meteor shower is reaching its peak on the nights of August 11–12. Normally the Perseids can produce 50–100 “shooting stars” per hour under dark skies, but this year a glaring 84% full Moon will be in the way science.nasa.gov. The waning gibbous moon rises in late evening and will wash out many of the fainter meteors. “The average person under dark skies could see somewhere between 40 and 50 Perseids per hour” in a moonless year, explains Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “Instead, you’re probably going to see 10 to 20 per hour or fewer, and that’s because we have a bright Moon in the sky washing out the fainter meteors” nasa.gov. In other words, expect only ~25% of the usual meteors – but don’t be discouraged! The Perseids are famous for producing “fireballs,” exceptionally bright meteors capable of rivaling Venus’s brilliance and even casting shadows euronews.com. These extra-bright meteors can punch through the moonlight, so keep watching for the occasional spectacular streak.