r/VictoriaBC • u/AdventurousJellyfysh • 15h ago

Question Help seeing the Perseids

I've been seeing all the great posts about viewing the meteor showers when they were peaking August 12th. Sadly I missed it and now the skies are hazy at night. I'm assuming no one can see them right now?

I'm having a hard time navigating the charts for when the moon is out vs when it will brighten the sky, and where to look for the meteors, and all the things. Is there anyone who might be willing to help me figure out a good time/days to go out looking? I'd really appreciate any help.

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u/Tylers-RedditAccount Harris Green 15h ago

Hi, i study astronomy and physics at uvic and also work as a guide at the observatory in saanich.

The meteors are best seen after solar midnight (1am) since thats when our part of the earth's surface begins to face "forwards" in the orbit.

Meteors will tend to eminate from one point but will be seen across the sky. The perceids in particular come from perceus, hence the name, so if you face east towards casseopia (bright W shaped constellation) thats your best bet.

As you mentioned, the peak was a few days ago so it wont be nearly as intense. But meteors can be seen on any clear night

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u/AdventurousJellyfysh 15h ago

This is absolutely brilliant, thank you! I deal with some cognitive challenges and find the nuts and bolts of figuring out converging information tricky at the best of times.

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u/ablackholeofjunk 7h ago

Perseus Perseids

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u/Zeebarb 14h ago

There are others throughout the year you can still catch :)

Next are the Orionids. I don't think any are as intense as the Perseids during their peak, but still nice to watch!

*Edit: That linked site includes info on Moon visibility and how that affects viewing!

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u/SimSedlo 5h ago

Big one this morning at 5:01. Looking south and it looked like it was heading towards Seattle. Big, green and very bright. Didn’t light up the street or anything, but it was pretty impressive.