York University astronomer Elaina Hyde joins to explain why tonight’s Perseid meteor shower is worth staying up for, and why the conditions line up so rarely. She traces the shower back to debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle, last seen up close in 1992, and explains why that leaves a fresher trail than most years offer.
She walks through what makes tonight ideal, no moonlight to wash out the fainter streaks, thanks to an assist from this week’s earlier solar eclipse, and why waiting until closer to midnight can actually improve the angle of what you see. She also flags a total lunar eclipse coming August 27th, visible from coast to coast.
If clear skies cooperate, this is the night to look up.
Topics: Perseid meteor shower peak, Swift-Tuttle debris, dark sky viewing Canada, lunar eclipse August, astronomy Canada
GUEST: Elaina A. Hyde
Originally aired on2026-08-12
