How to See the Perseid Meteor Shower in the Bay Area

The Perseids, one of the most dazzling and reliable meteor showers of the year, are streaking across the Bay Area night sky, and this summer, Venus and Jupiter will join the cosmic show in a rare pre-dawn pairing.

The meteor shower is active from now until the end of August, and will be at its brightest, producing up to 100 meteors per hour, from Aug. 11 until Aug. 13.

While the shower peaks between August 11 and 13, a bright, nearly full moon will make meteors more challenging to spot; technically, it will be a waning gibbous moon, a lunar phase that follows a full moon.

The darkest skies will arrive between when the sun sets around 8:15 p.m. and the moon rises a couple of hours later, but meteor activity is relatively low during that window, according to Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer and professor at the University of San Francisco’s Fromm Institute.

Your best bet? Aim for the pre-dawn hours after moonset, when the sky begins to darken again, especially between midnight and 5:00 a.m.

“It will be a tough year for stargazers,” Fraknoi said. “But even with a bright moon, you might catch a few brilliant meteors, especially after midnight, when activity picks up.”

While the luminous full moon will limit viewing of the meteors during their peak, Fraknoi said it’s still worth trying to observe them. “It’s still possible to see an occasional meteor during the maximum time,” he said.

As a cosmic bonus, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in the sky, will appear close together just before dawn on Aug. 12. Look to the eastern sky between 5 and 6 a.m. to catch the planets rise side by side near the horizon, which is called a conjunction.

Where to watch the Perseid meteor shower in the Bay Area

For meteor spotting, you want to choose a dark location away from city lights.

Here are a few popular dark locations for watching meteor showers in the Bay Area:

• Henry Coe State Park, South Bay
• Tilden Park, East Bay
• Sunol Regional Wilderness, East Bay
• Mount Diablo, East Bay
• Skyline Boulevard, Peninsula
• Montara Beach, Peninsula
• Pescadero, Peninsula
• Point Reyes National Seashore, North Bay
• Bodega Bay, North Bay

In the North Bay, you can find miles of darkened skies from the rural coast eastward. But note that fog in coastal areas might disrupt your views of the night sky.

State parks, national forests, and rural areas are also ideal for night sky watching. And if you’re looking to go beyond the Bay Area, popular spots in California include Pinnacles National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Read our tips for finding a last-minute camping reservation near the Bay Area.

Where to look in the sky to see the Perseid meteor shower

If you’re heading out to see the meteor shower, be prepared to be outdoors for at least a few hours. Bring a reclining chair or a blanket to lie on for comfort.

Dress warmly as temperatures can drop at night, even in summer. Make sure to check the weather forecast — clear skies are essential for optimal viewing.

Once you’re situated, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for about 20–30 minutes and avoid looking at your phone or any other bright lights, as this can reduce night vision.

Look toward the northeast horizon, where the constellation Perseus will be rising, and enjoy the show.

What is a meteor shower?

A meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by a comet or, in some cases, an asteroid. As Earth moves through the debris, these particles enter our atmosphere at high speeds and burn up, creating striking streaks of light.

The Perseids are named after the constellation Perseus, the point from which the meteors appear to radiate, and are fragments of the comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet last passed near Earth in 1992 and won’t return until 2126.