In 2026, Russians will have a rare chance to see the Perseids under almost ideal conditions. The brightest moment of the meteor shower will occur on the night of August 12-13, and the Moon will hardly interfere this time, as due to the new moon, its light will be almost absent in the sky. This was stated by Mikhail Maslov, an engineer at the "Vega" observatory of Novosibirsk State University.
He explained that the Perseids are part of the so-called "big three" – one of the three most active annual meteor showers. During its maximum, the activity of the Perseids reaches approximately 100 meteors per hour. But this is only possible under good conditions: it is better to observe the shower outside the city, under a dark sky, where there is no strong light pollution from streetlights and buildings.
In 2026, the maximum of the Perseids coincides with the new moon. When the Moon is bright, its light interferes with seeing faint meteors. But this time there will be no such interference, so the observation conditions will be especially favorable.
The radiant of the Perseids – that is, the point in the sky from which meteors seem to fly out – is located in the constellation Perseus. It is from this constellation that the shower got its name.
It is best to watch the Perseids at night – approximately from 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM. At this time, the point in the sky from which meteors seem to fly out will be high enough above the horizon. And the closer to morning, the better the conditions.