Dazzling Perseid Meteor Shower is here. How to watch from Redding and Shasta County

Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight
·6 min read
1

Now through Sept. 1, specs of dust and rocks will streak across the night sky as they smack into Earth’s atmosphere.

The Perseid Meteor Shower, the most dazzling annual meteor shower seen from Earth, returns to a night sky near you this summer.

Shasta, Siskiyou and other North State counties offer some excellent places to view the Perseids, visible as our planet passes through debris left from Comet Swift-Tuttle.

That comet last visited Earth in 1995. It orbits the sun every 133 years, so it will be about a century before Swift-Tuttle swings around again. But it left us a gift in its wake: A huge cloud of dust and pebbles. When Earth passes through that cloud every summer, the show is spectacular when seen from dark places like national parks.

University Preparatory School science teach Cory Poole took this photo of the 2019 Perseid meteor shower from the Bumpass Hell parking lot at Lassen Volcanic National Park
University Preparatory School science teach Cory Poole took this photo of the 2019 Perseid meteor shower from the Bumpass Hell parking lot at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Several features make the Perseids a no-miss over other annual meteor showers, according to NASA:

  • The meteors are very fast and bright and they leave long streaks of light and color as they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

  • They are plenty of meteors to watch — 50 to 100 meteors per hour of varying brightness during peak times and dates.

  • You can see many of the meteors with the naked eye. The brightest fireballs may be visible in cities where ambient light washes out most night-sky objects.

Here are prime North State viewing spots, dates and times when the shower is most active.

When to watch the meteor shower

This year, the shower peaks on Aug. 13, but you could see meteors anytime now through August.

Meteors are visible as early as 10 p.m., but best times to watch are in the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA. Look in the Northern Hemisphere for most meteor action.

Where to watch the meteor shower in the North State

The Perseids are visible at night at places away from light pollution. Try to get a good view of the northern sky.

If you live in an area where there's a lot of light, drive to the country for best views. Some of the best places to watch are North State parks, but many of those parks close at dusk.

Meteor watchers, astrophotographers and park staff offered their picks for places where people can get best views of the Perseids.

Shasta County

Lassen County

Lassen Volcanic National Park has some of the best unobstructed stargazing spots in the North State.

  • Choice spots are the shores around Lake Helen and the Bumpass Hell parking lot.

  • On the north side of the park, watch the sky from the Manzanita Lake shoreline, Butte Lake, the Chaos Jumbles pullout and the Devastated Area.

  • For stargazing hikes, try the Crags Lake Trail and around Cinder Cone.

  • For those who want to watch from their vehicle, the Bumpass Hell parking lot and pull-off spots along the park highway are the best places.

Avoid areas closed off due to damage from the Dixie Fire. For closures go to nps.gov/lavo.

What to bring

The wilderness can get chilly at night, especially at high altitudes. Coldest times are usually just before dawn. Bring a jacket or blanket if you plan to watch the meteors from high latitudes and wear comfortable footwear or hiking boots.

Charge your cell phone before you go and be sure to have access to fire updates and information about road closures. Take precautions going into wilderness areas, especially at night.

Bring a compass or download a compass app to find magnetic north.

While you probably won't need them, some stargazers bring binoculars. Remember — these limit your field of vision, but they definitely help you see a fireball in their visual range.

Where to learn more

To read more about the Perseids, go to NASA's website at go.nasa.gov/3wTi56n.

More meteor showers on the horizon in 2024

While other meteor showers aren't as dramatic as the Persids, there are more meteor showers coming in 2024, from September through December.

The number of meteors visible per hour are based on darkest skies. So, if you're viewing in an area with streetlights or other artificial light, count on seeing fewer fireballs.

Most are most visible to the naked eye, according to NASA, the Old Farmer's Almanac, SeaSky.org, EarthSky.org and the American Meteor Society. Times and dates are adjusted for Pacific Standard Time, so some dates may differ from sources that list East Coast or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

  • Taurids meteor showers: These long sparse showers originate in the southern sky. They’re created when the Earth passes through two debris fields: One left by an asteroid, the other left by a comet. The South Taurids are from Sept. 23 to Nov. 12, peaking late at night on Nov. 4 to 5. The North Taurids are from Oct. 13 to Dec. 2, peaking around Nov. 11 to 12. Best times to watch are 10 p.m. to midnight on Nov. 4, when the two showers overlap. Average meteors per hour: Three to 10

  • Draconids Meteor Shower: This show peaks on Oct. 7 to 8 in the northwest sky. Best times to watch are early evening hours to midnight. Average meteors per hour: Six to 10

  • Orionids Meteor Shower: Halley’s comet created this dust shower, which peaks on Oct. 21 to 22. It originates in the southern sky. Best times to watch are around midnight. Average meteors per hour: 10-20

  • Leonids Meteor Shower: Look to the southern sky to see the Leonids, peaking from Nov. 17 to 18. Best times to watch are between midnight and dawn, but the bright moon may wash out faint fireballs. This shower varies, with a few fizzling fireballs per hour some years, then pounding the atmosphere with hundreds about every 33rd year. The last big shower was in 2001. This year will likely be a light one. Average meteors per hour: 10-15

  • Geminids Meteor Shower: Watch at any time on Dec. 13 into Dec. 14 to see this shower at its peak. The Geminids originate from the northeastern sky. Average meteors per hour: 75, with periods of up to 120

  • Ursids Meteor Shower: This brief little shower — originating from the northern sky — is debris left by comet 108P/Tuttle. It peaks on Dec. 21 and 22. Best times to watch are from midnight to dawn. Average meteors per hour: Five

For more information on these and other sky-watching events, go to NASA at spaceplace.nasa.gov and astronomy sites Earth/Sky.org, SeaSky.org and SkyAndTelescope.org. For meteor shower updates go to the International Meteor Organization website at imo.net.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: How to see the Perseid Meteor Shower from Redding, Shasta County