Meteor shower tips from the Cornell Astronomical Society
The Perseid meteor shower is widely considered the most spectacular annual meteor display, with around 50 to 100 meteors visible per hour each August. This year, the meteor shower will likely peak on August 12 and 13.
We spoke with Cornell Astronomical Society president Erik Payton '25, and CAS member Marquice Sanchez-Fleming '27, for tips about the best ways to view and photograph meteor showers.
Since meteor showers are easily seen with the naked eye, Erik says, the biggest tip is to attempt viewing in an area with reduced light pollution. (For Ithacans, that's about a 20 minute drive off campus, where Mt. Pleasant Road in Varna is a known spot). Grab a blanket, lay down, and look up!
Photography tips:
- You can get great photos of a meteor shower with just your phone. Phones have better photo receptors than the human eye, so they can pick up celestial objects, like the Milky Way, even when your eyes cannot.
- Use a tripod or set your phone on something stationary. Don't try to use your hands, or you'll just end up with a blur!
- Set the exposure level to 10+ seconds to best capture shooting stars.
Fuertes Observatory on Cornell's Ithaca campus is open to the public rain or shine on Friday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight, with CAS members showing visitors the best of the night sky throughout the academic year and during the summer.
Summer is the best time to visit the observatory for views of distant galaxies, while fall holds the best chance of seeing planets like Saturn and Jupiter, Marquice says. Spring and winter are ideal for catching brighter nebulae, like Orion.
The observatory will likely be open during peak meteor viewing, with the updated times available on Instagram, Facebook, and newsletter.
