Rare Moonless Sky Set to Make This Year's Perseid Meteor Shower the Best in Almost Two Decades

The annual Perseid meteor shower is set to be extra spectacular this year, coinciding with a new moon, an exact match that hasn't happened in 19 years.

The shower will peak on the night of Aug. 12-13, and with the moon dark, skies across the Bow Valley should offer some of the best meteor viewing conditions in years, making it a prime time to get outside for some astrophotography.

“A huge factor we have on our side this summer is the absence of moonlight,” said Banff-based photographer Paul Zizka, who has photographed the Perseids in the Rockies at least 10 times over the years. “The peak of the show coincides with the new moon, and so ambient moonlight won't be drowning out any of the meteors.”

The Perseids happen every year when Earth passes through the debris field of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The shower runs from mid-July to late August, with the peak usually falling around Aug. 12. This year's new moon means fainter streaks will be easier to spot, which should add to the number and frequency of meteors crossing the sky.

The last time a new moon aligned this precisely with the peak was in 2007. The closest since then was 2018, when the new moon fell about a day before the peak.

“The darker the skies, the better,” Zizka said. “Get as far away from city lights as you can, and look for locations with wide, unobstructed views of the sky. Mountain lakes, alpine meadows, or open prairies all work beautifully. It's also worth choosing a place with an interesting foreground rather than simply looking straight up.”

A good photo of the Perseids is about more than just capturing a meteor, it's about telling a story, Zizka said.

“The strongest images tell a story by pairing the meteor with a compelling landscape or subject, a mountain peak, funky tree, old cabin, tent glowing from within, or even people enjoying the night,” he said. “Those elements help give the viewer a sense of place and scale.”

Once you've got the right spot,  somewhere as dark as possible with a subject that helps tell the story, you need the right equipment. 

Photographers should have a tripod to stabilize the camera for multiple and longer exposures, a wide angle lens to get as much of the sky along with your foreground subject, spare batteries or a phone charger, a large memory card or lots of free space on your phone. For more serious photographers he also suggests a remote release to cut down on the movement caused by touching your camera.

Staying out in the chilly mountain night is its own challenge, so dress in plenty of warm layers, bring a chair that reclines for stargazing, and pack a headlamp with a red-light mode, hot drinks, snacks and bug spray. Give your eyes at least 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark before settling in to watch, and photograph, the show. Being comfortable is key to staying out longer, which is one of the biggest factors in seeing more meteors.

Capturing meteors is largely a matter of chance, so the best strategy is to keep the shutter open as often as possible.

“Focus manually on something distant before you start, then leave the camera running continuously with back-to-back exposures,” Zizka said. “Since meteors are unpredictable, the more time your shutter is open, the better your chances.”

People with less sophisticated camera gear can still come away with good meteor photos, Zizka said. He suggests using a camera's night, manual or long-exposure mode and mounting it on a small tripod pointed toward the sky.

“Even if you don't capture many meteors, you'll likely come home with beautiful images of the stars.”

While the whole night should offer the best viewing in years, the hours after midnight are typically the most productive, with activity generally increasing toward dawn. Anyone planning a night out should aim to stay later rather than heading home early.

But even a veteran photographer like Zizka recognizes the photo isn't always the most important part of a rare event like this one.

“Sometimes the best experience is putting the camera away and simply watching the show.”

For more tips on photographing the night sky in the Rockies, see Zizka's ebook, Photographing Banff & Lake Louise, at shoppaulzizkaphoto.com.