The annual Perseids meteor shower will peak Wednesday night into Thursday, with clear skies across the mid-Island and a new moon providing ideal conditions. (Image Credit: Dreamstime)
By Alex Rawnsley
light show
Aug 11, 2026 | 4:14 PM
NANAIMO — Mother Nature is doing her part and providing clear skies for an annual meteor show.
The Perseids meteor shower is projected to peak overnight on Wednesday, Aug. 12, into Thursday, Aug. 13, with upwards of 50 to 100 meteors visible every hour across a majority of the night sky.
Vancouver Island University astronomy professor Dr. Gregory Arkos said the Perseids are “the old dependable one” when it comes to meteor showers.
“It’s got really a fair number of meteors every hour. You can see it’s got some fireballs in there, some brighter meteors, and colourful ones, and it’s very dependable year in and year out. It gives you that number, whereas some other meteor showers kind of wax and wane more.”