Perseid meteor shower tonight: When and how to see the stunning display
Tonight marks the start of the iconic Perseid meteor shower, visible in South Africa from July 17 through August 23, 2025, with its peak around August 12–13.
For South African stargazers, the best time to watch is during the early morning hours, ideally between midnight and sunrise, when the radiant (in the constellation Perseus) is highest in the sky.
However, this year's stunning show is slightly dimmed by a bright (84%) Sturgeon Moon around the peak.
How to watch the Perseids?
To maximize your chances, plan your viewing for July 18–28, when moonlight is minimal (from last quarter to new moon), or just before dawn on August 12–13.
Find a spot away from city lights—somewhere dark and open—then lie back, let your eyes adjust, and watch the sky between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. for the best meteor activity before moonlight brightens the night.
What causes Perseids?
Like all meteor showers, the Perseids happen when Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by a comet or large asteroid. In this case, the spectacular streaks in the sky come from Comet Swift–Tuttle — a giant among comets, with a nucleus about 26 km wide, making it the largest known comet to regularly come close to Earth.
To put that in perspective, it's roughly twice the size of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, according to Space.com. Comet Swift–Tuttle last swept through the inner solar system in 1992, and it won't return again until 2125.
Also read: Elderly woman dies after jumping from Atterbury bridge on N1
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Daily Maverick
‘Hidden' Beneath Our Feet: The Wonder of South Africa's Geological Heritage
When we speak of South African heritage, we often think of ancient rock art, vibrant languages, and deep-rooted cultural traditions, maybe even the fabled braai! But woven into the very ground beneath our feet is another story—older, vaster, and just as awe-inspiring. South Africa is home to some of the planet's most extraordinary geological wonders: rocks that record the origins of life, those that have withstood intense folding and deformation, even surviving cataclysmic events that shaped the Earth itself. This is a land where 3-billion-year-old rocks lie just a stone's throw from bustling cities, where gold and platinum-rich layers speak of deep-Earth processes, and where volcanic lavas once linked what are now distant continents. Just as rock art connects us to ancient human expression, the rocks of South Africa connect us to the ancient forces that made our world. Our geological heritage is not just a scientific treasure—it's a natural legacy as rich, powerful, and uniquely African as any monument or tradition. It's time to look down, and marvel. Giant (1-2 m) 'pillows' preserved in 2.9 billion year old lava flows show evidence of eruptions under water in lakes or seas. These domes, called stromatolites, preserve ancient evidence of algal mats—some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth. To aid us on this quest, the School of Geosciences at the University of the Witwatersrand has launched Earth Quest Solutions (EQS). EQS's most novel offering is arguably the Geotourism experiences we have planned. These events will give us the opportunity to share South Africa's vast untapped geological heritage, stemming from our unique geology, with local and international scientists, students and the general public. Our hope is that these experiences both educate and inspire audiences about the incredible natural resources of our country and the role that geoscience plays in our economy and society. Join us on this inaugural 'Geo-Safari through Earth's Ancient Past'. DM
The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet suffers global outage
SpaceX chief Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service experienced an hours-long global network outage late on Thursday, which executives attributed to a key software issue. The service interruption was announced on X at about 22:00 (SA time) on Thursday by Starlink's official handle. Users in the United States and Europe began reporting problems with the service an hour before the Starlink announcement on Downdetector, a website that tracks issues in internet-based services. 'Service will be restored shortly,' South Africa-born Musk posted on X, apologising for the outage. 'SpaceX will remedy root cause to ensure it doesn't happen again.' The tech billionaire later reposted a statement from Starlink Vice President of Engineering Michael Nicolls, who said the disruption was due to the 'failure of key internal software services that operate the core network.' Nicolls also said the Starlink network had 'mostly recovered' from the outage, which 'lasted approximately 2.5 hours.' About two hours later, Starlink posted that the issue was resolved and that service was restored. User reports on Downdetector began after 21:00 (SA time), peaking at 21:34 (SA time) and tapering out at 05:00 (SA time). Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk's space rocket venture SpaceX, has deployed more than 6 000 low-orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet to isolated and poorly connected areas. Starlink currently leads the satellite internet race, with European competitor Eutelsat – which is backed by France and the United Kingdom – lagging behind with 600 satellites. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
Marine biologist to share secrets of the sea
Marine biologist to share secrets of the sea Southbroom Conservancy invites nature lovers, ocean enthusiasts, and curious minds to an evening of captivating storytelling and marine science with renowned marine biologist and science communicator, Dr Deborah Robertson-Andersson. The talk will take place at Southbroom Golf Club on Thursday, August 14 – guests are asked to arrive at 17:30 for a 18:00 start. Entry is R60 per person and includes three slices of pizza to enjoy while soaking up the fascinating facts. Robertson-Andersson, well known for her passion for the ocean and her talent for making complex science accessible will focus on the spectacular South African humpback whale migration route. She will share how observing whale and dolphin behaviour is vital for protecting marine ecosystems – and how reconnecting with nature can inspire lasting care for the oceans. This promises to be an inspiring and informative evening, perfect for anyone who loves the wild wonders of the sea. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Herald's Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
