When and How to See Perseid Meteor Shower Over South Dakota

Summer in South Dakota is never short on opportunities to enjoy nature. This weekend will be a great weekend to look to the skies over Sioux Falls and the surrounding area and view a great terrestrial light show, the Perseid Meteor Shower 2023.

The Perseid meteor shower is a night sky full of shooting stars where we should be able to see about 60-70 shooting stars per hour.

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When and How to See Perseid Meteor Shower in South Dakota

According to Timeanddate.com the nights of Aug. 11-12 and Aug. 12-13 will be the best time to see the most vibrant meteor activity. Timeanddate.com also has a great automated graphic with lots of fun information about what and when you can expect concerning probably the most active meteor shower.

The best time to see the Perseid Meteor Shower is usually just before sunrise. You don't need any equipment to see the show. You'll be able to see it with the naked eye.

"According to NASA, the Perseids' radiant (where they appear to be coming from) is in the Perseus constellation. Though Perseus isn't the easiest to find, it conveniently follows the brighter and more distinctive constellation Cassiopeia across the night sky. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation it radiates from, the constellation is not the source of the meteors." - Space.com

Fun Facts about The Perseids

The Perseid meteor shower happens when the Earth's orbit brings the planet through the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle. At about 16 miles wide, the comet is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth. Its 134-year orbit will bring the comet back our way in 2126.