The best meteor showers of 2024 are yet to come. Here are the key nights to watch for.

Watching a meteor shower is one of the most awe-inspiring ways to engage with the night sky. Meteor showers, or “shooting stars,” happen when Earth's orbital path intercepts debris left by a comet or asteroid. 

If you missed the meteor showers earlier this year, don't worry — there are plenty of opportunities to see several other major ones before year’s end. In fact, the best meteor showers are yet to come. 

All meteor showers are best viewed with the naked eye; because individual meteoroids move so fast, it’s not practical to try and spot them with stargazing binoculars or a backyard telescope. (Still, those tools are handy for enjoying other skywatching sights this year, including planets, comets and a spree of upcoming supermoons). The darker the sky where you are, the more meteors you are likely to see — so consider Travelling if you want the best view. Here's everything you need to know to catch the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. 

Southern Delta Aquariids

Although the Delta Aquariid meteor shower lasts from July 18 to Aug. 21, the best time to watch will be the night of July 29-30. The moon will be a waning crescent (23% full) and will rise around 1 a.m. EDT on the 30th, so the moonlight won't interfere too much with the meteor shower. Expect to see 15 to 20 meteors per hour.

Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which they appear to originate. To see the Delta Aquariids, look for the star Skat (also known as Delta Aquarii) in the constellation Aquarius, which will be highest in the sky around 2 a.m. (regardless of your time zone).

The Perseids

You do not want to miss out on the Perseid meteor shower; it is one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. 

The Perseids run from July 14 to Sept. 1, peaking on the night of Aug. 11-12 with about 100 meteors per hour. Although the moon will be a waxing crescent (41% full), it will set before midnight EDT — so the moonlight will not be a problem. The Perseids’ radiant is the constellation Perseus, which will reach its zenith (or highest point) around dawn; however, it’s not necessary to find the radiant to see the Perseids. They will be visible throughout the entire sky.