METEOR SHOWER · PEAK AUG 12–13, 2026
Zero moonlight for the Perseids over Anchorage, even without full darkness.
The Perseid meteor shower peaks over Anchorage on the night of August 12–13, 2026, under a new moon at 1% illumination: zero moonlight all night. This far north the sky never reaches full astronomical darkness in mid-August, but the radiant stands 75° up by 5:46 AM, and the brightest Perseids still cut through the deep-twilight sky.
THE RADIANT, HOUR BY HOUR
Higher radiant, more meteors: the pre-dawn hours win even in the far-north twilight.
| LOCAL TIME | RADIANT ALTITUDE | DIRECTION |
|---|---|---|
| 11 PM | 35° | NNE |
| 12 AM | 39° | NE |
| 1 AM | 44° | NE |
| 2 AM | 50° | NE |
| 3 AM | 56° | ENE |
| 4 AM | 62° | ENE |
| 5 AM | 69° | E |
HOW TO ACTUALLY SEE THEM
- Go after midnight; 2–5 AM is the prime window.Even without full darkness, the small hours put Anchorage on the shower's windshield side of Earth.
- Leave the phone in your pocket for 20 minutes.Night vision takes that long to build, and one glance at a screen resets it to zero.
- No equipment. Eyes only: telescopes and binoculars see too little sky. A reclining chair and a blanket beat any optics.
SKY DARKNESS
Bortle 7Edge-of-city sky: the brightest constellations still stand out, and darker skies are a short drive away. Meteors reward darkness more than any other sky sight: a 30–60 minute drive away from the city glow improves the sky by a class or two and multiplies what you'll count.
SAME DAY
The same new Moon, twelve hours earlier
That same afternoon, the Moon takes a bite out of the Sun: 27.9% covered from Anchorage at 8:21 AM. Same Moon, same day: that's why the night is moonless.
Same night, an eclipse in the afternoon →Common questions
When exactly should I watch?
Rates build after midnight and are best between 2 and 5 AM. Anchorage never reaches full astronomical darkness in mid-August, so watch in the deepest twilight between 10:06 PM and 6:03 AM: the radiant is highest (75°) around 5:46 AM.
Where in the sky should I look?
Nowhere in particular: Perseids streak across the whole sky. Their radiant sits in the east in Perseus, 75° up at its best, and meteors look longest about 45° away from it. Lie back and take in as much sky as you can.
Is Anchorage dark enough?
Anchorage's city-center sky is roughly Bortle 7 (suburban–urban transition), so expect a fraction of the dark-sky rate downtown. Edge-of-city sky: the brightest constellations still stand out, and darker skies are a short drive away. A 30–60 minute drive away from the city glow improves the sky by a class or two and multiplies the meteors you'll count.
Will clouds block it?
The latest forecast shows 100% cloud cover over Anchorage in the core viewing hours. Forecasts firm up as the night approaches; check back the evening before for the final call.