--- title: "Haven’t Caught the Perseids Yet? This Amazing Live Stream Lets You Watch Them in Real Time" description: "If you haven't been able to catch the Perseids yet, an incredible (and free!) live stream will let you watch the meteor shower in real time." date: "2023-08-18" modified: "2023-08-18" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/perseids-live-stream" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "meteor shower" - "perseids" - "swift-tuttle" - "the digest" --- # Haven’t Caught the Perseids Yet? This Amazing Live Stream Lets You Watch Them in Real Time ![If you haven't been able to catch the Perseids yet, an incredible (and free!) live stream will let you watch the meteor shower in real time.]() *CHIFENG, CHINA - AUGUST 14, 2023 - The Perseid meteor shower is seen over the Ulanbum grassland in Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia, China, August 14, 2023. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Volcano Views The Perseids — an annual meteor shower that's widely considered to be the most spectacular of them all — are in full swing. But if you haven't been able to catch the sight for yourself yet, don't worry: an incredible free [live stream]() will let you watch the spectacular star show in real time. The livestream, a [collaboration]() between the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and the Japanese newspaper Asahi *Shimbun*, is being broadcasted from the Subaru Telescope at the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii. The 8.2-meter optical-infrared telescope sits at the mountain's summit, allowing for a crystal clear view of the heavens. Meteor showers aren't always easy to catch. Sometimes, unfortunately, it's too cloudy for some folks to see the nighttime spectacle, and light and environmental pollution can get in the way as well. And some of us, of course — speaking for a friend — don't wake up to their alarms, or sometimes forget to set their alarms in the first place. While seeing the show in person is always the best option, it's always nice to have a backup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76rwjwc07DI ## Better Late Than Never Named after the constellation Perseus, the Perseids are actually made up of bits of space debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, a slow-moving cosmic body which, moving in a highly elliptical pattern, completes its orbit around the Sun once every 133 years. Amusingly, the annual shower actually has little to do with Perseus; it's named for the celestial cluster only because its radiant — or the point in the sky where a meteor shower appears to originate — hovers nearby the winged-horse constellation. There [are a few reasons why]() the Perseids are so well-regarded, the first being that it's classified as a "high rate" shower, with an average of 50 to 100 pieces of debris seen dropping through Earth's atmosphere each hour. Something to behold! We'd also be remiss not to mention that the Perseids are known for featuring its fair share of fireballs, which are [defined by NASA]() as "exceptionally bright meteors that are spectacular enough to be seen over a very wide area." This has also been a particularly good year for Perseids viewing, as the Moon's brightness has only been at about ten percent, [according to *Space.com*](). And though the shower *has* already peaked, it'll technically [run through September 1](). We'd recommend you try to catch at least a hint of it before then, lest you have to wait until next year. **More on space:** [*Scientists: Mars Is Spinning Faster, for, Uh, Some Reason*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()