When and Where to See Perseid Meteor Shower - 2023

Perseid Meteor Shower Credits: NASA/JPL

What is it: When Earth crosses the orbit of Swift-Tuttle, a comet that orbits the Sun every 133 years, the debris cloud of Swift-Shuttle hits Earth’s atmosphere. The debris travels at around 59 kilometres per second, and peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1600 to 5500 deg C, thus burning up as they speed across the sky and causing the celestial spectacle of a multitude of shooting stars. Even though the meteors are part of Swift-Tuttle, it is called Perseids Meteor Shower, because they appear to originate from the Perseus constellation.

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When to See the Perseid Meteor Shower:

Earth crosses the comet’s debris cloud every year. The shower is visible from middle of July to the middle of August (July 17 and August 24, 2023), and the peak shower takes place around the second week of August (August 11 to 13 this year) as the Earth crosses the thick of the cloud.

Perseids will peak between midnight and dawn on the morning of August 11 to 13. The shower’s peak is on the morning of August 13, 2023.

This year, the new moon is on August 16. The moon is a waning crescent and at about 10 percent illumination and only rises after 2 a.m. (ET) Hence, if the sky is clear, you have ample time to view the meteor shower. If the sky is cloud-free, you can see about 40 to 100 meteors per hour.

How & Where to See 2023 Perseid Meteor Shower:

Required Conditions: Clear Sky away from city lights — Check clear sky (cloud) conditions in your area – here.

–The best way to see it is to get away from city lights, preferably to Dark Sky Preserves. If not, visit open sky areas (so that you have a 360 deg view of the sky) away from city lights like provincial/regional parks (where you can typically see a million stars on a clear starry night ) around midnight and look up — Northeast at the sky. If you live in the countryside, there is a good possibility that you can see a meteor shower from your yard.

Where to Stargaze in Ontario: Dark Sky Areas and Observatories
Where to Stargaze in Alberta: Dark Sky Areas and Observatories
Dark-Sky Preserves in Canada

Screengrab: DarkSiteFinder Light Pollution Map.

To find reasonably dark areas near your location, check the darkskyfinder map. Search for a park (or a safe place with no streetlights away from roads/traffic) within the areas coloured dark (mustard), yellow, green, blue, grey or black (transparent). (Before travelling, please check cloud cover.)

— Make sure you switch off the phone, and your eyes need ~ 30 minutes to get adjusted to the dark. If you are carrying a flashlight, cover it with red cellophane wrap or some kind of red filter, so that it doesn’t interfere with viewing.

— Watch the night sky for at least 15 to 20 minutes for a chance to spot meteors. At its best, the shower can produce more than 80 meteors per hour. You can see the shower with the naked eye and do not need astronomy equipment.

— Take a blanket or a lawn chair so that you can sit comfortably to watch the shower.

— To avoid the glare of the moon, sit with your back against the moon. This might increase your chances of seeing some meteors.

2023 Perseid Meteor Shower Parties and Other Dark Sky Events

Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area/ Credit: To Do Canada

RASC chapters across the country hold various events, including astronomy presentations and telescopic nighttime views of the Moon, Planets and Deep Sky Objects.

Some of these events include:

Duncan, BC: Observe the stars and the Perseid meteor shower from this dark site in the Cowichan Valley during the Island Star Party at Bright Angel Park. Lots of amateur astronomers will be there to talk about astronomy and to help you observe celestial objects after dark from August 11 to 13, 2023
Vancouver, BC: Return of the Perseids Meteor Shower at H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver on August 11, 2023
Burnaby, BC: Visit Simon Fraser University Trottier Observatory, Burnaby for the weekly Starry Nights. Friday, August 11, 2023
Abbotsford, BC: Visit Aldergrove Regional Park on August 12 & 13, 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. to enjoy Metro Vancouver Regional Park’s annual Perseid Meteor shower event.
Mount Kobau, BC: If you are an ardent observer, consider participating in Mt. Kobau Star Party from August 12 to 20, 2023
Jasper, AB: Book a telescope experience at Jasper National Park’s Planetarium.
Calgary, AB: Though not an event for Perseid meteors, the University of Calgary is holding an event, Conserving the Wilderness of Night Sky in Alberta: Understanding Light Pollution, as part of the 8th International Conference on light pollution on August 11.
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Centre Block, SK: Explore the dark skies during Saskatchewan Summer Star Party from August 16 to 20, 2023.
North Frontenac, ON: Perseid Meteor Shower viewing on August 12 & 13, 8:30 p.m. at 5816 Road 506 between Fernleigh and Plevna
Lennox and Addington, ON: Visit Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area at 7980 Lennox and Addington County Road 41, Erinsville to see the meteor showers.
Pelee National Park, ON: Point Pelee National Park is a Dark Sky Area. Explore the park after dark and experience the dark skies of Point Pelee with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Windsor Chapter. The park will stay open all night August 11 to August 12 (Open at 6 am August 11, close at 10 pm August 12)
Manitoulin Island, ON: Gordon’s Park, Manitoulin Island, Ontario on August 10 to 14, 2023
Montreal, QC: Bring a lawn chair or blanket, a snack or two and some insect repellent and view the shower at Morgan Arboretum, Conservation Centre, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
Saint-Quentin, NB: Visit Mount Carleton Provincial Park, a Designated Dark Sky Preserve with pristine dark skies for the annual Mount Carleton Star Party organised by Royal Astronomical Society of Canada on August 18 & 19, 2023
Kejimkujik, NS: Join the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and Parks Canada to learn more about the stars, planets, and constellations in the night sky. Visit this national park for the annual Dark Sky Weekend from August 11 to 13, 2023.
Online: You can also see the shower live at the Virtual Telescope Project via the website