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How to catch this week's meteor showers, despite the full moon

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

It's that time of the summer, when going outside and looking up into the night sky will give you a chance to spot some colorful meteors.

ROBERT QUIMBY: There's a pair of meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

That's Robert Quimby. He's an astronomy professor at San Diego State University and director of the Mount Laguna Observatory. He says both of these showers, which happen annually, are reaching their peak tomorrow, Thursday night into Friday. That's usually when you'd be able to see them in their full splendor.

PFEIFFER: But there's a challenge this year - a full moon.

QUIMBY: That's going to make it hard to see because a full moon produces a lot of light and the meteors are faint. So it will be possible to see some of the brightest meteors from these events, but you're not going to get all of the meteors that you would if it was dark.

SUMMERS: Quimby says if you're in a place like Florida or Hawaii, you'll get the best view.

PFEIFFER: Still, wherever you are in the country, it may be worth taking a look. You'll just have to work around the moon.

SUMMERS: Quimby recommends looking straight up.

QUIMBY: You'll still catch the brightest meteors that are streaking overhead.

PFEIFFER: And if you're wondering when is the best time to look, Quimby would normally tell you to go later in the night or in the early morning hours.

QUIMBY: But the moon is going to be low on the horizon after sunset 'cause it's a full moon.

SUMMERS: So this year, head outside early, right after sunset at the beginning of the night.

PFEIFFER: And if you aren't able to see anything tomorrow night, you've got more chances this summer. The Perseid meteor shower is currently active, too, and its peak will be in August.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Alejandra Marquez Janse
Alejandra Marquez Janse is a producer for NPR's evening news program All Things Considered. She was part of a team that traveled to Uvalde, Texas, months after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary to cover its impact on the community. She also helped script and produce NPR's first bilingual special coverage of the State of the Union – broadcast in Spanish and English.