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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAI-generated view of what a bright meteor during totality may look like.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is only a single other occasion in the last 150 years when a total solar eclipse occurred within about a day of the Perseid peak<\/a>: the August 11th, 1999 total eclipse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw that eclipse. I did not see a Perseid meteor in just under the 2 minutes of totality. But I also did not look for Perseids, being fixated on the solar eclipse. The total eclipse is a captivating sight, looking around the darkened sky to see a meteor is almost (but just almost) a waste of precious time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, observers may chance into a bright Perseid while they take in the darkened sky and the twilight ring around it. So how likely will it be to see a Perseid meteor during totality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a scenario for Spain, which currently seems the best place to see the eclipse. Totality happens in the late afternoon, with the Sun low in the western sky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the central line near Pe\u00f1\u00edscola the Sun will be 4\u00b0 above the W horizon during totality. The Perseid radiant will be about 7\u00b0 above the N horizon. The meteor shower will likely be close to peak rates, so we can assume ZHR~80<\/a> meteors per hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Adjusting for the radiant height, the actual rate for this location will be around 10 meteors per hour. That’s on average less than one meteor under dark skies during the just under two minutes of totality. Additionally, the rate is calculated for a dark night time sky, not the essentially twilight sky during totality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conditions will be significantly better in Iceland, with the Perseid radiant at 29\u00b0 altitude during the somewhat longer totality. The chances of seeing a Perseid during totality will be about 10x better than in Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The odds of actually seeing a Perseid during totality are low, especially as observers will be looking at the eclipsed sun most of the time. But if you have a spare camera and a wide field or fisheye lens, crank up the ISO, shorten the exposure and let it hunt for Perseids. You might be lucky and catch one. How great would that be?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To all observers: good luck and clear skies!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nA unique and incredibly rare timing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the odds?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/severnisij.si\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TotalityPath_12Aug2026_BBCskyatnight_PaulWootton.jpg\")
Catching a Perseid during totality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n