Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 12

Perseids to Peak Aug. 12-13 With 50-100 Meteors an Hour as New Moon Darkens Skies

Updated

Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 12

Perseids to Peak Aug. 12-13 With 50-100 Meteors an Hour as New Moon Darkens Skies

Q: Where is the ultimate North American location to witness both the solar eclipse and the peak of the Perseid meteors?

The best all-around North American choice is **a dark-sky site in Newfoundland and Labrador, especially Gros Morne National Park**. That recommendation balances both parts of the August 12, 2026 double event better than most alternatives. Newfoundland and Labrador gets one of the deepest partial eclipse views in accessible North America, with **St. John’s seeing about 53% of the sun covered**. At the same time, **Gros Morne National Park** offers the kind of dark, low-light environment needed for the **Perseid peak overnight**, when moonless skies could produce especially strong meteor rates. If the goal is the **deepest partial eclipse alone**, **Iqaluit, Nunavut**, is stronger at about **61% coverage**. But for most travelers, Gros Morne is the more practical “ultimate” pairing because it combines a major eclipse view with a recognized dark-sky setting for the Perseids in one region. For U.S. observers, the strongest comparable option is **Acadia National Park in Maine**. Maine gets the deepest eclipse in the contiguous United States, with **Presque Isle at about 28% coverage**, and Acadia is also a prime dark-sky Perseid destination. Still, it does not match Atlantic Canada for eclipse depth. So, for seeing **both** events from one North American trip, **Gros Morne National Park and the broader Newfoundland and Labrador region stand out as the top pick**.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 12

Aug. 12-13 will bring the Perseids' peak, with 50 to 100 meteors an hour possible and especially strong viewing because the shower coincides with a new moon.
July 17 marks the shower's start, and it runs through Aug. 24; NASA and the American Meteor Society say the best viewing comes before dawn, though meteors can appear from about 10 p.m. local time.
No equipment is needed—viewers should find a dark spot away from light pollution, let their eyes adjust for 20 to 30 minutes, and scan the whole sky rather than use a telescope.
The Perseids, known for long-tailed meteors and brighter fireballs, will overlap with the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquarids, though those showers usually produce fewer meteors in the Northern Hemisphere.
Aug. 12 also brings a partial solar eclipse to parts of the U.S. and Canada, pairing a daytime sky event with the Perseids' overnight peak.