Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Something about the Perseid meteor shower feels different, and I finally recorded the evidence from my own backyard.
For years, we have heard that the Perseids can produce up to 100 meteors per hour near the peak. But after spending several hours watching and recording the sky with modern wide-field cameras, the number I actually captured was nowhere close to that widely repeated figure.
Does this mean the Perseid meteor stream itself has changed? Not necessarily.
The often-quoted rate is usually a Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR. It represents an idealized estimate under extremely dark skies, with the radiant directly overhead and an observer able to monitor the entire visible sky. Moonlight, haze, smoke, humidity, light pollution, camera sensitivity, field of view, skyline obstructions, and the radiant’s altitude can dramatically reduce the number of meteors actually observed.
Still, my personal experience from seven or eight years ago was very different. I remember seeing far more Perseids than I recorded this year, even though today I have better cameras, wider sky coverage, and more advanced technology.
During the recording, I also noticed an unusual circular object in the sky. I am calling it unidentified because I have not determined what it is. I am not claiming that it is an alien spacecraft. It could be an optical reflection, lens artifact, atmospheric effect, or something else associated with the camera system. I am showing the original footage so we can examine it together.
In this video, you will see:
• Real Perseid meteors recorded from my backyard
• My actual observing and camera results
• Why “100 meteors per hour” does not mean everyone will see 100
• The difference between ZHR and real-world observations
• An unidentified circular object captured during the recording
• My comparison with Perseid showers from previous years
• What I plan to investigate during the next several nights
I am not trying to undermine the Perseid meteor shower, astronomers, or the media. These meteors are beautiful, and every one I captured was worth watching. My goal is to compare the prediction with the actual observations and understand why the experience appears so different.
I will continue recording the sky, comparing observing times, weather conditions, camera settings, sky coverage, and meteor counts. Subscribe and follow the investigation as I collect more evidence.
What did you observe from your location? How many Perseid meteors did you see per hour? Did this year appear different to you?
Subscribe to Ray’s Astrophotography:
youtube.com/@RaysAstrophotography?sub_confirmation=1
Subscribe to Cosmic Ray LIVE:
youtube.com/@cosmicraylive?sub_confirmation=1
#PerseidMeteorShower #Perseids #MeteorShower #Astrophotography #NightSky #Meteors #UFO #UnidentifiedObject #BackyardAstronomy #CosmicRay
Something about the Perseid meteor shower feels different, and I finally recorded the evidence from my own backyard.
For years, we have heard that the Perseids can produce up to 100 meteors per hour near the peak. But after spending several hours watching and recording the sky with modern wide-field cameras, the number I actually captured was nowhere close to that widely repeated figure.
Does this mean the Perseid meteor stream itself has changed? Not necessarily.
The often-quoted rate is usually a Zenithal Hourly Rate, or ZHR. It represents an idealized estimate under extremely dark skies, with the radiant directly overhead and an observer able to monitor the entire visible sky. Moonlight, haze, smoke, humidity, light pollution, camera sensitivity, field of view, skyline obstructions, and the radiant’s altitude can dramatically reduce the number of meteors actually observed.
Still, my personal experience from seven or eight years ago was very different. I remember seeing far more Perseids than I recorded this year, even though today I have better cameras, wider sky coverage, and more advanced technology.
During the recording, I also noticed an unusual circular object in the sky. I am calling it unidentified because I have not determined what it is. I am not claiming that it is an alien spacecraft. It could be an optical reflection, lens artifact, atmospheric effect, or something else associated with the camera system. I am showing the original footage so we can examine it together.
In this video, you will see:
• Real Perseid meteors recorded from my backyard
• My actual observing and camera results
• Why “100 meteors per hour” does not mean everyone will see 100
• The difference between ZHR and real-world observations
• An unidentified circular object captured during the recording
• My comparison with Perseid showers from previous years
• What I plan to investigate during the next several nights
I am not trying to undermine the Perseid meteor shower, astronomers, or the media. These meteors are beautiful, and every one I captured was worth watching. My goal is to compare the prediction with the actual observations and understand why the experience appears so different.
I will continue recording the sky, comparing observing times, weather conditions, camera settings, sky coverage, and meteor counts. Subscribe and follow the investigation as I collect more evidence.
What did you observe from your location? How many Perseid meteors did you see per hour? Did this year appear different to you?
Subscribe to Ray’s Astrophotography:
youtube.com/@RaysAstrophotography?sub_confirmation=1
Subscribe to Cosmic Ray LIVE:
youtube.com/@cosmicraylive?sub_confirmation=1
#PerseidMeteorShower #Perseids #MeteorShower #Astrophotography #NightSky #Meteors #UFO #UnidentifiedObject #BackyardAstronomy #CosmicRay
