Fireball Forecast: How to watch the Perseids meteor shower in West Virginia

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Perseid meteor shower is a highlight for stargazers around the world and is considered one of the best recurring showers each year. The shower’s peak activity will be in just a few days, but if you want to see some meteors for yourself, there are a few things you should know to give yourself the best viewing opportunity.

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When can you watch the Perseids?

The Perseid meteor shower has actually been active since July 17 and will last until Aug. 23. According to the NASA website, the peak of the meteor shower is Aug. 12 and 13, and the best time to look for meteors is in the early morning hours before dawn, around 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., though it is possible to see brighter fireballs as early as 10 p.m.

What are the Perseids?

The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus, because when stargazers watch the shower, they appear to be coming from the Perseus constellation. In reality, the meteors are bits of rock and debris that fell off the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

Swift-Tuttle orbits the sun every 133 years, but it leaves behind debris as it travels through space. When Earth’s orbit takes it through the debris field, the bits and pieces burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, which causes the meteors and fireballs seen during the shower.

The Forecast

While peak meteor activity will be the night of Aug. 12 and 13, the best time to actually see them could be a few days after that. Unfortunately, the moon will be 86% full the night of Aug. 12, and the light of the moon will make it more difficult to see fainter meteors.

However, after Aug. 9, the moon will enter its waning phase and will get less bright each night. This means that viewing conditions will gradually get better over time until the shower is expected to conclude on Aug. 23. Just bear in mind that as the moon gets dimmer, the Perseids will also be getting less active.

When it comes to the actual weather forecast, StormTracker 12 is currently predicting possible showers and thunderstorms starting on Tuesday, so visibility during the peak could be limited.

Picking a viewing location

To get the best possible chance of seeing meteors or fireballs, you want to go somewhere with the least amount of light, away from cities or street lamps. If you live in a more rural area, you might be able to get a good view right from your backyard, but even if you live in a small town, there will be enough light pollution to affect your viewing experience.

To reduce light pollution, driving just a few miles out of town can significantly improve nighttime visibility. You can use Light Pollution Map to visualize the level of light pollution in your area or find a suitably dark location to watch the Perseids.

The West Virginia 2025 Vacation Guide also recommends a handful of stargazing destinations:

• Calvin Price State Forest (Designated Sky Park)
• Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park (Designated Sky Park)
• Watogo State Park (Designated Sky Park)
• Calhoun County Park
• Green Bank Observatory

If you want to try taking pictures of any meteors with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can read up on the best practices for photographing a meteor shower on the NASA website.