The annual Perseids meteor shower sees an average of 60 flashes per minute streaking across the night sky at its peak. (Dreamstime)

By Alex Rawnsley

night show

‘Friction heats them to over 1000 degrees:’ peak of annual Perseids meteor shower due

Aug 12, 2022 | 5:30 AM

NANAIMO — One of the most impressive astronomical shows of the year peaks this weekend.

The annual Perseids meteor shower, ongoing since late July and set to continue through much of August, will peak Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13 with an average of 60 meteors a minute streaking through the night sky.

Dr. Gregory Arkos, VIU astronomy professor, told NanaimoNewsNOW the particles of dust, similar to the size of a grain of sand come from the tail of the comet Swift–Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years.

“It really is very tiny particles, travelling very fast. They can be travelling tens to hundreds of thousands of kilometres per hour and when they hit the atmosphere, the friction heats them to over 1000 degrees and it just vaporizes them.”

The regularity of the annual show is the result of the Earth passing through the comet’s previous path in its own orbit around the sun.

On the Lake

Training, fundraising take precedence in winter months for Nanaimo Rowing Club

17h ago

clean-up

Locals plan to remove shoreline hazard in Qualicum Beach

Dec 13, 2025

Wings Clipped

Seguin-Lescarbeau and Rimmer lead Clippers to Teddy Bear Toss win

Dec 13, 2025

Weather for the peak of the event across the central Island is not ideal, nor is the current moon phase. Forecasted showers and the third of three supermoon’s this year will all run over the weekend.

Arkos said if Friday and Saturday don’t work, it’s likely a good show will still come Sunday and into early next week.

He recommends going out late, well after the sun has gone down, and give plenty of time.

“If you go out for five minutes the odds of seeing one (aren’t great). Meteors don’t come regularly of course, they happen across the sky kind of randomly. Let your eyes dark adapt, make sure your eyes are able to fully dilate so you’re taking in as much light as possible.”

Arkos added checking phones or looking directly at other sources of light will make it tougher to see the streaks across the sky.

Meteors and a supermoon aren’t the only thing keeping sky watchers up until the early hours at the moment.

Rare sightings of Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as Northern Lights, across parts of the central and north Island region have been reported in recent weeks.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW