Jupiter Could Boost 2028 Perseids to 200-300 Meteors an Hour
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 24
Jupiter Could Boost 2028 Perseids to 200-300 Meteors an Hour
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Aug 24
Summary
Scientists say Jupiter’s 2028 pass near Comet Swift-Tuttle’s debris stream could pull more particles onto Earth-crossing paths, potentially making the Perseid shower markedly stronger.
Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society said the key test comes in 2027: if Perseid rates reach at least 100 meteors an hour, 2028 could climb to 200-300 an hour.
Computer models support the possibility, but particle density in the stream remains poorly known, leaving any hourly-rate forecast an educated guess rather than a firm prediction.
Moonlight may limit what skywatchers actually see—2027 peaks under a waxing moon near full, while 2028 should offer better conditions with a third-quarter moon rising after midnight.