This is an excellent year to observe the Perseids because, during the maximum, the Moon will be in the new moon phase and it will not be an impediment. The best time to observe them is at dawn from Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 August, but from the end of July we can already begin to see some. We just need a place protected from artificial light, a cloudless sky and a little patience.
This month of August will be very favorable for observing the Perseids since its maximum occurs very close to the new moon (which will take place on the 16th). Therefore, contrary to what happened last year, this time the moonlight will not be an impediment to see shooting stars.
The number of Perseids observable per hour is highly variable. In a very dark place and with the radiant high above the horizon, it can exceed a hundred. However, the number of meteors observed per hour can vary very rapidly as the density of rock fragments varies in the area of space traversed by the Earth, for this reason concrete predictions about a specific number of meteors depending on the day and time are difficult to obtain. perform and are usually affected by high uncertainty.
The highest activity of the Perseids (measured in number of meteors per hour) will be reached at dawn from Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 August. The best times to see more and brighter meteors are from dusk until 3 or 4 in the morning. It is when the edge of the waning Moon has not yet risen and when the constellation of Perseus is already high on the horizon.
Although the radiant of this shower of stars is in the constellation of Perseus, it is not necessary to know the constellations, nor is it essential to look towards Perseus, to see the Perseids. Shooting stars can appear anywhere on the celestial vault, although they all seem to come from that point called the radiant.