How, where to watch the Perseid meteor shower 2023 in Wisconsin

Aug 27, 2023

One of the best annual meteor showers is expected to peak later this week.

According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower is known for its long-lasting rays and bursts of light that stay longer than meteors. It is also known for its abundance of meteors.

If you're interested in viewing the meteor shower in Wisconsin, here's what you need to know.

Technically, the Perseid meteor shower is active between July 14 and Sept. 1. However, it is expected to peak the night of Aug. 11, the early morning of Aug. 12, the night of Aug. 12 and the early morning of Aug. 13. The best views are typically seen from midnight to sunrise. The reason it will be peak viewing for the meteor shower is because it will take place right before a new moon — when the skies are darkest.

According to The Panetary Society, the Perseid meteor shower may produce up to 100 meteors per hour if viewed at a designated dark site.

The Perseid meteor shower will be visible in the northern hemisphere down to the mid-southern latitudes, according to The Planetary Society. The meteors appear to come from the area of the night sky where you find the Perseus constellation.

NASA told USA Today that the moon will be above the horizon during prime viewing hours, which makes it difficult to get the best view.

Like most astronomical events, the best views come at night and far away from cities and other places with high light pollution. Rural areas are best, and anywhere you can see the stars well will work, but the darker the better.

Some of the best places are designated dark skies sites. There is only one official one in Wisconsin at Newport State Park on the northern tip of Door County. However, there are efforts to get others designated in the Driftless Region like the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Wildcat Mountain State Park and Tunnelville Cliffs State Natural Area.

More:Looking for more stars? Here are the five international dark sky places closest to Wisconsin

More:Two supermoons will be visible in August. Here's what you need to know.

After the Perseid meteor shower, there are six more meteor showers on the calendar for 2023.

Drew Dawson can be reached at [email protected] or 262-289-1324.