Perseid Meteor Shower 2016: Amazing Photos by Skywatchers (Gallery)

By Tariq Malik
published

Perseids Over Japan

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

The 2016 Perseid meteor shower will appear to radiate out from the constellation Perseus as shown in this sky map from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The Perseids will peak on Aug. 12, 2016. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

What Are Meteor Showers?

Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor

Learn why famous meteor showers like the Perseids and Leonids occur every year [See the Full Infographic Here].

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.