Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Over Long Island and the Hamptons Wednesday Night: When to Watch

Look up: One of the year’s best meteor showers peaks Aug. 12-13, with a new moon and darker East End skies setting the stage for prime viewing across Long Island.

There’s a good reason to look up Wednesday night.

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most anticipated celestial shows of the year, reaches its peak overnight Wednesday, Aug. 12, into the predawn hours of Thursday, Aug. 13. And for once, getting out of the city isn’t just a summer preference — it’s part of the viewing strategy.

The Perseids are best seen away from artificial light, making Long Island — and particularly the darker stretches of the East End — a much better bet than Manhattan for catching shooting stars streaking across the August sky.

When to Watch

While you may spot meteors earlier in the evening, viewing gets better as the night goes on, particularly after midnight and into the hours before dawn Thursday.

The Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which rises in the northeastern sky and climbs higher overnight. But there’s no need to keep your eyes fixed on the constellation. Meteors can flash across large portions of the sky.

And this year comes with a celestial bonus: The shower’s peak coincides with a new moon, meaning there will be virtually no moonlight competing with the meteors.

The American Meteor Society estimates that under normal conditions, viewers in dark, rural locations can typically see 30 to 50 Perseid meteors per hour at the shower’s maximum, with a theoretical zenithal hourly rate of up to 100.

What Exactly Are You Seeing?

Those “shooting stars” aren’t actually stars.

The Perseids are tiny pieces of debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Each year, Earth passes through the comet’s debris trail, sending particles racing into our atmosphere at roughly 37 miles per second.

As they hit the atmosphere, they heat up and produce the brilliant streaks of light we see from the ground. Swift-Tuttle takes about 133 years to orbit the sun and last passed through the inner solar system in 1992.

How to Get the Best View

NASA’s biggest piece of advice is simple: Get somewhere dark. The less artificial light around you, the more meteors you’re likely to see.

A few ways to make the most of the night:

• Go dark. Get as far away from streetlights, buildings and other sources of artificial light as possible. The darker the location, the better your chances of seeing more meteors.
• Check the forecast before heading out. Clouds, fog and haze can quickly spoil the show, so check conditions for your viewing spot before making the trip.
• Give your eyes time to adjust. Put away the phone and avoid bright lights for about 20 to 30 minutes. Your eyes need time to adapt to the darkness.
• Skip the telescope. The Perseids are best viewed with the naked eye. Find a spot with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky and take in as much of it as possible.
• Get comfortable. Bring a blanket or reclining chair so you can lie back and look up without straining your neck. Even in August, it can feel cool after midnight, so an extra layer isn’t a bad idea.
• Don’t forget the bug spray. It’s summer on Long Island. Enough said.
• Bring company. More eyes on the sky means a better chance of spotting meteors in different directions — and waiting for the next shooting star is more fun with friends.

The Perseids remain active through late August, so Wednesday night isn’t the only opportunity to catch one. But the Aug. 12-13 peak, combined with a moonless sky, makes this the night to watch.

And if you’re spending August in the Hamptons, you already have one of the most important ingredients: distance from the city lights.

Source: NASA; American Meteor Society

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .