Montana’s Skies May Be Perfect For Beautiful 2023 Meteor Showers

Looking ahead at the forecast for most of Montana this week, it looks like we are going to have some clear skies, at least as far as clouds go. The smoke from fires may be a different situation. If you do happen to have a view of the skies this week there are are couple big meteor showers that will be visible this week.

Let's Hope for No Smoke in Montana's Skies

The "Persied Meteor Shower" will be visible this week according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. It will be starting this week with the peak of the showers coming up in mid-August. According to the almanac this year the shower will be more visible than last year due to the position of the moon:

Unlike 2022, this year should be a good one for the Perseids thanks to the Moon phase. It will be a waning crescent during the peak time, so the Moon won’t be super bright, which would wash out the shooting stars.

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The Lesser Known "Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower" May be Visible in Montana

There is a lesser known meteor shower called the "Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower" that will be peaking at the end of this week, July 29th and 30th. According to earthsky.org, the "Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower" normally favors the southern hemisphere, but this year it may be visible to Montanans in the northern hemisphere with the moon-free mornings coming up this week.

Here are Some of the Best Stargazing Places Around Missoula

If you are planning on star gazing around the Missoula area, here are some of the best places to watch the sky. One of the keys to any stargazing, regardless of where you watch, is to get away from light pollution and try to get to where it is dark. You will increase your chances of seeing some these amazing displays in the Montana skies. Now let's hope we don't get a lot of wildfire smoke to block the view.