Look to the north sky tonight for the Perseids Aug 13, 2018

Look to the north sky tonight for the Perseids

We can’t all gather on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria to watch the Perseids meteor shower tonight, but perhaps this amazing photo from that location will inspire you to head outside for a look at your own skies. Every August, Earth passes through the trail of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. When Swift-Tuttle’s ‘dirty snowballs’ of dust, ice, rock, and other material hit Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up as the ‘shooting stars’ of the Perseids. If you can, get away from city lights any time between now and Aug 24, find a safe spot outside, and let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 30 minutes. Look to the northern portion of the sky, or find the Perseus constellation, and you’ll start seeing streaks of light tumbling through the sky.

© jk78/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 13, 2019An ice cap-puccino
Aug 13, 2020Life in the slow lane
Aug 13, 2021Fight for your lefts
Aug 13, 2022Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Aug 13, 2023Perseid meteor shower over Oregon
Aug 13, 2024Telašćica Nature Park, Dugi Otok, Croatia
Aug 13, 2025Corona Arch near Moab, Utah

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 5, 2022Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
Nov 14, 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
May 14, 2022Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands
Apr 23, 2021A house of grand scale(s)
Sep 16, 2019The mighty, mighty mushroom
Jul 31, 2021Fashion models of the avian world
Jan 24, 2023Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
Jun 15, 2020Surfer s paradise
Apr 16, 2018The Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique
Dec 11, 2018‘The mountains are calling’
Dec 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Mar 18, 2023Gamboa Crater, Mars
Aug 8, 2023Infinity Day
Dec 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Nov 17, 2023National Take a Hike Day
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach in Mendocino County, California
Jul 11, 2018All is silent for Big Ben’s musical milestone
Sep 16, 2018Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
Dec 8, 2025Christmas lights in Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
Apr 15, 2022World Art Day
Aug 17, 2024International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
Feb 21, 2022Presidents Day
Mar 14, 2021Perfect timing
Mar 15, 2018The Colosseum of Rome, Italy
Oct 4, 2018From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
Mar 26, 2023Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
May 14, 2020Green fields of grain
Jun 25, 2022Brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Jan 31, 2018Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
Jun 20, 2021Happy Father s Day