With all the wild space talk that’s dominated the world as of late, you’ll be pleased to know that a seriously amazing meteor shower is coming to Sydney this weekend – and you’re gonna want to look up. Lauded as the ‘best meteor shower of the year’ by NASA, the Perseid shower whizzes past Earth every August, and has a 133 years orbit. It will be at its peak above Sydney on August 13, 2023.
How and when can I see the meteor shower above Sydney?
Although the Perseids are far brighter in the northern hemisphere, Australian stargazers should be able to get a glimpse too, if they're lucky. In Sydney, it's possible we won't get to see too many at all but it is not impossible, with due to our southern latitude positioning, however it's not impossible. To get the best possible chance at glimpsing their otherworldly beauty, look upwards in the early hours of Sunday, August 13 – specifically at 3am. We’re told that to get your best chance of seeing the shower, you should look to the northern horizon, and if you’re a keen astronomer, make sure you look for the Perseus constellation to get an exact location. Obviously, the less light pollution the better, so head to one of these seven epic stargazing spots near Sydney to increase your starry chances.
Although the shower will be at its peak on August 13, the Perseid shower will continue flying over Sydney until August 24, so if you head outside in the early hours of the morning this month, you should probably be in luck.
What is the Perseid shower? And what makes it special?
The Perseids are caused by space debris left over from the Swift-Tuttle comet, and contain material from the earliest days of our solar system. This shower has a 133 year orbit, and gets carried out past Pluto in its yearly voyaging. It is special because at its height, you could see up to 100 shooting stars per hour.
Rug up, and hit the road. You shouldn’t be disappointed.