Long Islanders, look up! 🌠 One of the biggest meteor showers of the year is peaking tonight, Wednesday, August 12, into the early morning hours of Thursday, August 13, and 2026 is shaping up to be an especially good year to catch it.
The annual Perseid meteor shower can produce up to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, and this year’s peak coincides with a new moon, meaning there won’t be bright moonlight washing out the fainter shooting stars.
What Time Should Long Islanders Watch?
You don’t necessarily have to stay up until 3 a.m. to see something!
Meteors can appear throughout the night, with viewing getting better beginning around 11 p.m. Activity increases after midnight, with the best chance to see the highest number of shooting stars during the predawn hours Thursday morning.
So, your best window is:
🌠 Good: Around 11 p.m.🌠 Better: Midnight to 2 a.m.🌠 Best: The early morning hours before dawn
And you don’t need a telescope or binoculars. Find the darkest location possible, give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, put your phone away and scan a large portion of the sky with the naked eye.
Where to Watch on Long Island
Here’s the REALLY good news: several Long Island state parks are staying open overnight specifically for the Perseids.
- Jones Beach State Park — West End 2
- Sunken Meadow State Park — Field 3
- Montauk Point State Park — Upper Parking Lot
- Wildwood State Park — Field 1
- Orient Beach State Park — Main Parking Lot
- Hallock State Park Preserve — Upper Parking Lot
State park officials recommend finding an open, dark area for the best view.
If you’re willing to make the drive east, Montauk and the North Fork offer some of Long Island’s darker skies. Discover Long Island also highlights Montauk Point, Orient Beach and Cupsogue Beach County Park among the Island’s standout stargazing destinations because of their darker surroundings and wide-open views.
Why Are We Seeing Shooting Stars?
The Perseids happen every year when Earth travels through a trail of dust and debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Those tiny particles slam into Earth’s atmosphere at incredible speeds and create the bright streaks we call shooting stars.
The meteors appear to originate near the constellation Perseus, but there’s no need to stare directly at one particular spot. In fact, some of the longest meteor trails can appear farther away from the shower’s radiant point.
A Few Tips Before You Go
Bring a reclining chair or blanket, bug spray and something warm in case temperatures feel cooler overnight. Most importantly, avoid staring at your phone — bright screens can ruin the night vision you spent 20 to 30 minutes developing.
And don’t panic if you miss tonight’s peak. The Perseids remain active through August 24, although the number of meteors will gradually decrease after tonight.
Bottom line: get away from the lights, get comfortable and look up. Long Island could have a front-row seat to one of the best celestial shows of the summer. 🌠✨